July 13 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index was flat on Friday, as losses in bank stocks weighed on the financial sector.
* At 9:42 a.m. ET (1342 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX Composite index .GSPTSE was down 13.86 points, or 0.08 percent, at 16,553.56.
* Nine of the index's 11 major sectors were lower, with the financials sector .SPTTFS down 0.1 percent.
* The Bank of Canada is now looking for a handoff from housing to energy as a source of growth, hoping higher prices can cushion the impact global trade tension has on exports and investment. Earnings season on Wall Street kicked off, with banks reporting mixed results.
* National Bank of Canada 's NA.TO 0.4 percent dip and a 0.2 percent decline in Toronto-Dominion Bank TD.TO pressured the financials.
* The materials sector .GSPTTMT , which includes precious and base metals miners, dropped 0.4 percent as gold prices slid due to easing trade tensions and weaker demand for precious metals on expectations of higher U.S. interest rates. GOL/
* Italian deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said Italy will not ratify the European Union's free trade agreement with Canada, ratcheting up an international trade spat and potentially scuppering the EU's biggest accord in years. NAFTA talks are now a big priority, given Mexico's election is "now behind us", U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday. The energy sector .SPTTEN climbed 0.5 percent as U.S. crude CLc1 rose 0.4 percent and Brent crude LCOc1 added 0.3 percent. O/R
* On the TSX, 117 issues were higher, while 113 issues declined for a 1.04-to-1 ratio favouring gainers, with 7.06 million shares traded.
* Biggest percentage gainers on the TSX were Eldorado Gold ELD.TO , which jumped 2.1 percent following appointment of a new CFO, and Birchcliff Energy's BIR.TO , up 2 percent.
* OceanaGold Corp OGC.TO fell 2.6 percent, top percentage loser on a rating cut by National Bank of Canada . The most heavily traded shares were Aurora Cannabis ACB.TO , UrtheCast Corp UR.TO and The Hydrpothecary Corp HEXO.TO .
* The TSX posted four new 52-week highs and no new lows.
* Across all Canadian issues, there were 28 new 52-week highs and eight new lows with total volume of 12.21 million shares.