CANADA STOCKS-TSX flat as tech, financials drag and miners gain

By Utkarsh Hathi

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index was little changed on Monday, as gains in mining shares driven by safe-haven demand were offset by losses in tech and financials stocks.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index .GSPTSE was down 0.01% at 33,814.97 points as of 10:20 a.m. ET. The benchmark briefly reached an intraday record high at 33,998.51 before giving up the gains.

The tech stocks .SPTTK fell 2.9%, mirroring declines in software stocks on Wall Street, as the S&P 500 software & services index .SPLRCIS slid more than 3%.

E-commerce firm Shopify SHOP.TO dropped 6.1%.

The big six Canadian banks are expected to post strong quarterly results this week, with shares trading at a premium.

"Bank stocks are near all-time highs and susceptible to a pullback. If earnings are good but not great, you could see a selloff," said Allan Small, senior investment advisor at Allan Small Financial Group with iA Private Wealth.

The financials .SPTTFS subindex, which weighs heaviest on the index, fell 0.8%.

Industrials .GSPTTIN and consumer discretionary .GSPTTCD shares were down 1.3% each.

Limiting the declines, the gold sector .SPTTGD led the sectoral gains with a 3.2% jump, as gold XAU= prices reached more than a three-week high. Investors rushed toward the safe-haven asset on renewed tariff uncertainty after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last week against President Donald Trump's tariffs.

The broader materials sector, which includes metal miners, rose 2.6%. Silver XAG= also gained.

Trump renewed his condemnation of the apex court on Monday, vowing to turn to other tariff powers and licenses but giving no details.

Meanwhile, energy shares .SPTTEN climbed 0.6% as oil prices recovered from losses earlier in the day and hovered near a six-month high, with traders assessing the impact of tariff uncertainty on global fuel demand. The third round of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran on Thursday also remains in focus.