CANADA STOCKS-TSX ends near flat ahead of bank earnings reports

Updates at market close

By Ragini Mathur and Fergal Smith

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index ended nearly unchanged on Monday as investors awaited quarterly earnings reports from the nations major banks, with gains for consumer-related shares offsetting declines for energy.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE ended up 4.23 points, or 0.02%, at 25,151.26, after posting on Friday its biggest decline in two months and its lowest closing level in five weeks.

Canada's big six banks are expected to build more credit loss provisions as they brace for uncertainty surrounding the U.S. tariff threat, analysts said, potentially weighing on first quarter earnings and beyond.

The banks report later this week, starting with Bank of Montreal BMO.TO and Bank of Nova Scotia BNS.TO on Tuesday.

"It's very hard to say what the real objective of the new U.S. administration is, whether it is really just something that can be addressed from increasing border security," said Angelo Kourkafas, an investment strategist at Edward Jones Investments.

The heavily weighed financials sector was barely changed but the consumer staples sector climbed 2.1%, with shares of food retail Metro Inc MRU.TO adding 3.1%.

Consumer discretionary advanced 1.7% and the materials group, which includes fertilizer companies and metal mining shares, was up 0.7% as the price of gold XAU= rose.

Shares of Equinox Gold Corp EQX.TO edged 0.1% higher after the company on Sunday said it would acquire all the outstanding shares of Calibre Mining CXB.TO in an all-stock deal. Calibre Mining Corp CXB.TO shares ended 3.9% lower.

The price of oil settled 0.4% higher at $70.70 a barrel as investors awaited clarity on talks to end the war in Ukraine. Still, energy was a drag, falling 0.9%.

Industrials and technology both lost 0.5%.