(Adds details, updates prices)
* TSX down 223.27 points, or 1.74 percent, to 12,598.86
* Nine of the TSX's 10 main groups fall
TORONTO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell on
Monday as oil prices resumed their downward spiral and weak
economic data out of Europe and China exacerbated concerns about
a global slowdown.
Oil fell as weak economic data from China, the world's
largest energy consumer, weighed on prices and an OPEC source
played down talk of an emergency meeting to stem the decline.
The index's energy group retreated 3.9 percent, with
pipeline operator Enbridge Inc ENB.TO off 3.4 percent at C$47,
Suncor Energy Inc SU.TO falling 3.5 percent to C$32.02, and
Canadian Natural Resources CNQ.TO losing 4.3 percent to
C$28.71.
The most influential movers on the index also included Royal
Bank of Canada RY.TO , which fell 2 percent to C$71.11, and
Canadian National Railway CNR.TO , which declined 3.5 percent
to C$73.29.
At 10:01 a.m. EST (1501 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's
S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE was down 223.27 points, or
1.74 percent, to 12,598.86. Declining issues outnumbered
advancers by more than 4-to-1.
Investors were disappointed by euro zone manufacturing data
that dovetailed with the fastest contraction in China's giant
factory sector in over three years, while Canada's manufacturing
sector also contracted in January, its sixth monthly fall.
The financials group slipped 1.6 percent and industrials
fell 2.7 percent.
The materials group, which includes precious and base metals
miners and fertilizer companies, added 0.7 percent. It was the
only one of the index's 10 main groups to rise.
Gold futures GCc1 rose 0.9 percent to $1,126.7 an ounce,
while copper prices declined 0.7 percent to $4,531 a
tonne.
Shares in online gambling company Amaya Inc AYA.TO surged
26 percent to C$18.90 after it said its CEO had offered to buy
the company for about C$21 a share.
Royal Nickel Corp RNX.TO shares jumped 9 percent after
announcing two cash and stock acquisitions that transform the
mine developer into a cash-generating nickel, copper and gold
producer.
U.S. crude CLc1 prices were down 4.8 percent to $32.02 a
barrel, while Brent crude LCOc1 lost 4.0 percent to
$34.57.