May 2 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell on Thursday, as lower crude prices pulled down energy shares, while precious metal miners were hurt by a fall in gold pries.
* U.S. crude CLc1 prices were down 2.3 percent per barrel, while Brent crude LCOc1 lost 1.8 percent, as record U.S. crude production led to a surge in inventories. O/R
* The materials sector .GSPTTMT lost 0.5 percent as gold fell to its lowest in a week after the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) doused expectations of a near-term rate cut and on lack of physical demand in Asia. O/R
* The Fed held interest rates steady on Wednesday and signaled little appetite to adjust them any time soon. At 9:43 a.m. ET (13:43 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE was down 25.61 points, or 0.16 percent, at 16,477.14.
* Canada's Bombardier Inc BBDb.TO plunged 7.7% and was among the biggest losers in the main index, after the planemaker shocked workers in Northern Ireland by announcing it would sell its Belfast operation, the largest high-tech manufacturer in the British region, which employs 3,600 people. Among earnings reports, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc SNC.TO dropped 5% after the company reported a 73 percent plunge in adjusted quarterly profit and said it would speed up its plans to simplify operational structure to save costs and improve efficiency. Maple Leaf Foods Inc MFI.TO declined 2.4% after the packaged meat producer reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, hit by higher costs as it invested more in new initiatives and capacity expansion. On the TSX, 73 issues were higher, while 162 issues declined for a 2.22-to-1 ratio to the downside, with traded volumes touching 28.20 million shares.
* The largest percentage gainer on the TSX was Pason Systems Inc PSI.TO , which rose 6.9 percent after reporting higher quarterly revenue.
** Parkland Fuel Corp PKI.TO rose 3.6 percent and was among the biggest gainers after its first-quarter profit beat analysts' estimates.
* CannTrust Holdings TRST.TO fell 10.3 percent, the most on the TSX, after the company priced its stock offering.
* The most heavily traded shares by volume included Bombardier Inc BBDb.TO and CannTrust Holdings.
* The TSX posted two new 52-week highs and five new lows.
* Across all Canadian issues, there were nine new 52-week highs and 11 new lows, with total volumes touching 42.63 million shares.