(Adds portfolio manager comment, updates prices to close)
* TSX ends up 24.89 points, or 0.19 percent, at 13,309.80
* Seven of the TSX's 10 main groups rise
* Market shut Friday and Monday, resumes trading Tuesday
By Alastair Sharp
TORONTO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index made a
slight gain in a shortened session on Thursday as energy stocks
pared back the previous day's gains, weighing on a broadly
positive but subdued market ahead of the Christmas break.
The exchange will be closed on Friday and Monday.
The energy group, which accounts for almost a fifth of the
index's weight, fell 0.7 percent. Oil prices edged higher while
remaining near 11-year lows. O/R
"Yesterday they had such a big bounce, it was probably
slightly overdone," said Patrick Blais, senior portfolio manager
at Manulife Asset Management.
Heavyweight oil and gas producer Suncor Energy Inc SU.TO
lost 0.8 percent to C$36.89 and Crescent Point Energy Corp
CPG.TO fell 1.9 percent to C$16.87.
While the sharp fall in oil since late 2014 and its
stubbornly low price through 2015 have hurt Canadian producers,
Blais said the worst may have been priced into the sector now
and related areas of the economy could feel the pinch next.
"We have some concerns that the Canadian domestic economy
will struggle throughout the year, we think there might be some
reverberations within secondary sectors, whether it's
manufacturing linked to the energy space, or even the consumer
as the slowdown out west expands throughout Canada," he said.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index
.GSPTSE ended up 24.89 points, or 0.19 percent, at 13,309.80.
The most influential gainers included major banks Royal Bank
of Canada RY.TO , which rose 0.9 percent to C$75.64, and Bank
of Nova Scotia BNS.TO , which advanced 0.8 percent to C$57.95.
The overall financials group climbed 0.5 percent.
Seven of the index's 10 main groups were in positive
territory, with three stocks higher for every two that slipped.
Gold miners gained, as the price of bullion edged higher on
the back of a weaker U.S. dollar. Goldcorp Inc G.TO gained 3.1
percent to C$16.89 and Barrick Gold Corp rose 2 percent to
C$10.85.
(Editing by Bernadette Baum)