(Adds strategist comment, updates prices to close)
* TSX ends up 14.37 points, or 0.11 percent, at 13,024.30
* Six of the TSX's 10 main groups gain
By Alastair Sharp
TORONTO, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index
crawled higher on Friday as the energy sector gained despite
slipping oil prices, offsetting weakness among financial stocks
as investors also scooped up shares of companies that have taken
a beating recently.
Toronto-listed shares of BlackBerry BB.TO jumped 10.5
percent to C$12.03 as the company's pivot to software began to
show traction and it reported its first quarter-to-quarter
revenue increase in more than two years.
Bombardier BBDb.TO also got a boost after it received
certification for its CSeries 110-seater plane. Its shares rose
16.2 percent to C$1.36.
Separately, a source told Reuters that Pierre Beaudoin is
expected to step down as executive chairman of the company in
early 2016.
Meanwhile, the materials sector gained 2.8 percent as gold
and copper prices rallied and energy stocks added 1.9 percent,
despite oil falling on the day and notching a third straight
weekly loss. O/R
Canadian Natural Resources CNQ.TO was the biggest lift on
the index, rising 3.3 percent to C$29.15, while Suncor Energy
SU.TO added 1.6 percent to C$35.99.
The energy sector gained nearly 1 percent for the week, its
first increase in six weeks, but the group is still down more
than 10 percent in December.
"It's too easy to make a bearish case and too difficult to
make a bullish case at this point in time, on energy and on the
broad market," said Philip Petursson, managing director of
capital markets and strategy at Manulife Asset Management.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index
.GSPTSE ended up 14.37 points, or 0.11 percent, at 13,024.30.
The financial group fell 0.8 percent, with Bank of Nova
Scotia BNS.TO down 1.8 percent at C$56.14 and Brookfield Asset
Management BAMa.TO off 1.8 percent at C$43.79.
Despite the day's gain, investors should not take too much
relief from the rebound in energy stocks just yet, said Bryden
Teich, associate portfolio manager at Avenue Investment
Management.
"Heading into next year, oil is still going to be under
pressure," Teich said. "I think there's room for another leg
down here as we head into 2016."
Of the index's 10 main groups, six notched gains.
Gold companies were boosted by a rebound in the precious
metal XAU= to $1,065.86 an ounce, with Barrick Gold ABX.TO
up 4.1 percent at C$10.09.