(Updates prices)
* TSX down 7.16 points, or 0.05 percent, to 14,833.33
* Six of the TSX's 10 main groups move higher
TORONTO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index steadied on Thursday after hitting a near 16-month high the previous day as gains in financial stocks helped offset mining stocks weighed by a pullback in gold prices.
Most of the index's 10 main sectors were little changed, with the small healthcare group notching the largest gain at 0.7 percent as Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc (NYSE:VRX) VRX.TO advanced 1.1 percent to C$29.28.
At 10:27 a.m. EDT (1427 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE was down 7.16 points, or 0.05 percent, to 14,833.33.
The financials and industrials groups each gained 0.2 percent. The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, lost 0.2 percent.
Bank of Montreal BMO.TO rose 0.4 percent to C$85.61, and National Bank of Canada gained 0.5 percent to C$46.50.
Barrick Gold Corp ABX.TO fell 2.3 percent to C$22.17, as gold prices turned lower after three days of gains. GOL/
The energy group slipped as oil slipped back after a strong rally, although several smaller companies in the group gained after reporting quarterly earnings. O/R
Altagas Ltd ALA.TO advanced 3.2 percent to C$34.59 after posting strong quarterly earnings. Group Ltd MTL.TO gained 4.7 percent to C$17.75. The supplier of trucking and logistics to Canada's oil and natural gas industry reported quarterly earnings after the bell on Wednesday. Energy Inc SU.TO was among the most influential gainers, up 0.7 percent to C$38.66.
Six of the index's 10 main groups were in positive territory, while decliners outnumbers gainers by 1.3-to-1 overall.
U.S. crude CLc1 prices were down 1.9 percent to $50.61 a barrel, while Brent LCOc1 lost 2.0 percent to $51.63.