Dec 24(Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell on Monday, weighed by losses in energy companies and as investors fled riskier assets to take refuge in gold amid worsening global economy.
* At 9:39 a.m. ET (1439 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX Composite index .GSPTSE was down 60.5 points, or 0.43 percent, at 13,874.94.
* TSX, which was down for its fourth straight session, fell to its lowest level in over two-and-a-half years.
* All but one of the index's 11 major sectors were lower, with energy sector .SPTTEN lead losers by shedding 0.9 percent, and only the material sector .GSPTTMT gained.
* Weighing on energy stocks was a decline in oil prices, which were in line with another fall across global stock markets. O/R
* U.S. crude CLc1 prices were down 1.5 percent, while Brent crude LCOc1 lost 0.6 percent.
* The materials sector, housing precious metal miners, added 0.7 percent after the price of gold rose as global growth fears boosted the appeal of the metal viewed as a safer bet. GOL/
* On the TSX, 66 issues were higher, while 168 issues declined for a 2.55-to-1 ratio to the downside, with traded volumes touching 15.91 million shares.
* Top percentage gainer on the TSX was shares of Spin Master Corp TOY.TO , which climbed 6.2 percent after BMO raised its rating for the company's stock to "outperform".
* Second biggest percentage gainer was shares of gold miner OceanaGold Corp OGC.TO , which rose 3.9 percent along with a gain in the price of gold.
* Cascades Inc CAS.TO fell 11.9 percent, the most on the TSX, followed by a 4.8 percent decline in Aurora Cannabis ACB.TO .
* The most heavily traded shares by volume were of Aurora Cannabis and Aphria Inc APHA.TO .
* The TSX posted one new 52-week high and 56 new lows.
* Across all Canadian issues, there were eight new 52-week highs and 233 new lows, with total volume touching 25.97 million shares.