Oct 22 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index edged lower on Monday as falling commodity prices pulled down energy and gold mining shares.
* At 9:54 a.m. ET (13:54 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE was down 40.03 points, or 0.26 percent, at 15,430.07.
* Latest domestic economic data showed wholesale trade edged down by 0.1 percent in August from prior month, as weaker sales in the building material and supplies and motor vehicles and parts subsectors led the decline, Statistics Canada said on Monday. Six of the 11 major sectors within the index were lower, led by a 0.6 percent drop in material sector.
* The energy sector .SPTTEN dropped 0.2 percent as U.S. crude CLc1 prices were down 1.1 percent a barrel, while Brent crude LCOc1 lost 0.8 percent.
* Oil slipped below $80 a barrel as Saudi Arabia pledged to raise its crude production to a record, two weeks before U.S. sanctions potentially choke off Iranian crude supplies O/R
* LNG Canada challenged competing U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, saying many could end up "dead in the water" as long as China keeps its tariff on U.S. imports of the fuel as part of the trade war between the countries. The materials sector .GSPTTMT , which includes precious and base metals miners and fertiliser companies, lost 0.8 percent as gold futures GCc1 fell 0.1 percent to $1,224.5 an ounce as investor's appetite for risk returned. GOL/ MET/L
* The financials sector .SPTTFS edged down 0.3 percent while the industrials sector .GSPTTIN dropped 0.3 percent.
* The largest percentage gainers on the TSX were Stantec Inc STN.TO , which rose 4.7 percent after at least three brokerages raised their rating on the stock and Lucara Diamond LUC.TO , which rose 2.9 percent.
* Cannabis companies were the biggest decliners with Canopy Growth Co WEED.TO , which fell the most on the TSX by 6.1 percent, followed by Aphria Inc APH.TO , which shed 6.3 percent.
* The most heavily traded shares by volume were Aurora Cannabis ACB.TO , down 5.5 percent; Hexo Corp HEXO.TO , down 6.7 percent and Aphria Inc APH.TO , down 6.3 percent.
* On the TSX, 121 issues were higher, while 114 issues declined for a 1.06-to-1 ratio favouring gainers, with traded volume touching 31.15 million shares.
* The TSX posted no new 52-week high and six new lows.
* Across all Canadian issues, there were three new 52-week highs and 19 new lows, with total volume touching 48.47 million shares.