* TSX down 181.7 points, or 1.36 percent, at 13,177.07
* Six declining stocks for every rising issue
TORONTO, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Slumping energy stocks pushed
Canada's main stock index sharply lower on Monday as oil prices
fell to their lowest in almost seven years following OPEC's
decision to keep crude production high, while slips in other
commodity prices also weighed.
Nine of the 13 most influential weights on the index were
energy stocks, including Suncor Energy Inc's SU.TO 2.9 percent
fall to C$34.97, and Canadian Natural Resources CNQ.TO , which
declined 4.3 percent to C$29.38. The overall group retreated 5
percent.
Oil prices fell to their lowest in nearly seven years after
OPEC's meeting ended on Friday in disagreement over production
cuts and without reference to an output ceiling, while a
stronger U.S. dollar made it more expensive to hold crude
positions. O/R
At 10:02 a.m. EST (1502 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's
S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE was down 181.7 points, or 1.36
percent, to 13,177.07. That was its lowest level since Nov. 16.
Declining issues outnumbered advancers by more than 6 to 1,
with 30 stocks hitting fresh 52-week lows.
Materials stocks weighed, down 1.2 percent as gold and
copper prices also pulled back.
HudBay Minerals Inc HBM.TO stock fell 7.3 percent to
C$5.68 after its chief executive was named to replace Goldcorp
Inc's G.TO CEO after he retires next year.
Goldcorp stock slipped 1.5 percent to C$16.78.
U.S. crude CLc1 prices were down 3.9 percent at $38.42 a
barrel, while Brent LCOc1 lost 3 percent to $41.71. O/R
Gold futures GCc1 fell 0.7 percent to $1,076.9 an ounce,
and copper prices CMCU3 declined 0.6 percent to $4,586.5 a
tonne. GOL/ MET/L