April 6 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index rose on Monday investors drew comfort from a slowdown in coronavirus-related deaths and new cases in many parts of the world.
* At 9:43 a.m. ET (1343 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE was up 442.8 points, or 3.42%, at 13,381.1.
* Death toll from the virus slowed across major European nations including France and Italy. U.S. President Donald Trump also said that his country was seeing a "levelling off" of the crisis. In Canada, the number of people killed by the coronavirus jumped by just over 20% to 258 in a day on Sunday. The heavyweight financials sector .SPTTFS gained 3.9%, while the industrials sector .GSPTTIN rose 3.5%.
* The materials sector .GSPTTMT , which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, added 3.8% as gold futures GCc1 rose 1.4% to $1,657.1 an ounce. GOL/ MET/L
* The energy sector .SPTTEN climbed 1%, even as oil prices tumbled. U.S. crude CLc1 prices were down 4.9% a barrel, while Brent crude LCOc1 lost 3.2%. O/R
* On the TSX, 216 issues were higher, while 14 issues declined for a 15.43-to-1 ratio favouring gainers, with 36.94 million shares traded.
* The largest percentage gainers on the TSX were software company Lightspeed POS Inc LSPD.TO , which jumped 12.7%, and Brookfield Property Partners L.P. BPY_u.TO , which rose 10.5%.
* Chorus Aviation Inc CHR.TO , which provides services to the airline industry, fell 8.2%, the most on the TSX, after the company suspended its dividend and announced a new $100 million revolving credit facility.
* The second-biggest decliner was Shawcor Ltd SCL.TO , down 2.1%.
* The most heavily traded shares by volume were Toronto-Dominion Bank TD.TO , Bank of Nova Scotia BNS.TO and Cenovus Energy Inc CVE.TO .
* The TSX posted a new 52-week high and no new low.
* Across all Canadian issues, there were three new 52-week highs and four new lows, with total volume of 58.29 million shares.