Oct 24(Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell on Wednesday on weak investor sentiment after Bank of Canada raised benchmark interest rate.
* At 10:01 a.m. ET (14:01 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE was down 62.2 points, or 0.41 percent, at 15,222.97.
*The rate increase, by a quarter of a percentage point, took the bank's overnight interest rate to 1.75 percent, still well below the "neutral" rate of 2.5-3.5 percent.
* The central bank, which so far lifted rates five times since July 2017, tweaked its standard language on future hikes, dropping previous references to the gradual pace of tightening. The central bank also warned that an increasing trade war between U.S. and China could become a major drag on global economic growth.
* Trade uncertainty in North America, which the bank had previously flagged as a major risk to the economic outlook, would diminish after the United States, Canada and Mexico agreed a revamped NAFTA deal. Nine of the index's 11 major sectors were lower, led by a 1 percent drop in the heavyweight financials sector .SPTTFS after the rate decision.
* Canadian National Railway CNR.TO shares rose 2.7 percent after the railroad reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit as the company shipped higher volumes of crude and grains. Shares of Restaurant Brands QSR.TO was flat after its quarterly profit missed Wall Street estimates as its Burger King unit struggled in a fiercely competitive U.S. market, offsetting gains in its Tim Hortons cafes. The energy sector .SPTTEN climbed 0.2 percent as U.S. crude CLc1 prices were up 1.0 percent per barrel, while Brent crude LCOc1 added 0.4 percent. O/R
* The materials sector .GSPTTMT , which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, lost 0.2 percent as gold futures GCc1 dropped 0.2 percent to $1,231.5 an ounce. GOL/ MET/L
* The largest percentage gainers on the TSX were Trican Well Service TCW.TO , which jumped 2.9 percent, followed by shares of Canadian National Railway CNR.TO .
* OceanaGold Corp OGC.TO fell 2.5 percent, the most on the TSX. The second biggest decliner was New Gold NGD.TO down 2.0 percent.
* The most heavily traded shares by volume were Aurora Cannabis ACB.TO , Royal Nickel RNX.TO , and Bombardier B BBDb.TO .
* On the TSX, 143 issues were higher, while 88 issues declined for a 1.63-to-1 ratio favouring gainers, with traded volumes touching 16.51 million shares.
* The TSX posted no new 52-week high and one new low.
* Across all Canadian issues, there were one new 52-week highs and 17 new lows, with total volume of 27.15 million shares.