CANADA STOCKS-TSX steady as Ukraine fears subside; oil shares fall

    * TSX rises 10.08 points, or 0.07 percent, to 14,299.94 
    * Five of the 10 main index sectors advance 
    * Falling oil price weighs on energy shares 
 
    By John Tilak 
    TORONTO, March 5 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index was 
little changed on Wednesday, with gains in financials offset by 
weakness in energy shares, as tensions over Ukraine eased with 
the prospect of dialogue between the United States and Russia on 
the crisis. 
    The two world powers will hold talks on Ukraine on Wednesday 
as the West tries to persuade Moscow to pull its forces back to 
base in Crimea and avert the risk of a war.    
    Investors also digested news that the Bank of Canada had 
left its benchmark interest rate unchanged but continued to 
express concern about weak inflation.     
    "The situation in Ukraine is still a fluid one and likely to 
continue to cause volatility," said Shailesh Kshatriya, 
associate director for client investment strategies at Russell 
Investments Canada. "That will continue to impact market 
psyche." 
    Kshatriya sees more choppiness in store for the Toronto 
stock market, whose benchmark index is up nearly 5 percent this 
year on gains in its materials and energy sectors. 
    "We think the TSX will finish higher than we initially 
thought, though we question the sustainability of the recent 
move," he said. 
    The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index 
   was up 10.08 points, or 0.07 percent, at 14,299.94. 
Five of the 10 main sectors on the index were higher. 
    Financials, the index's most heavily weighted sector, 
climbed 0.4 percent. Royal Bank of Canada    added 0.8 
percent to C$72.43, and Bank of Nova Scotia    rose 0.9 
percent to C$63.66. 
    Gold-mining stocks also advanced, with Goldcorp Inc    
gaining 0.7 percent to C$30.23 and Barrick Gold Corp    
adding 0.5 percent to C$22.74.  
    A decline in the price of oil weighed on shares of energy 
producers. In the group, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd    
lost 0.3 percent to C$40.81. 
    ($1=$1.11 Canadian) 
 
 (Editing by Peter Galloway) 
 ((john.tilak@thomsonreuters.com)(1-416-687-7918)(Reuters 
Messaging: john.tilak.reuters.com@reuters.net)) 
  
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