RIM, IT sector, pressure Canada stocks

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) � A slump Thursday by technology stocks pushed Canadian equities 31 points lower to 11,466.5 points, snapping a two-day winning streak by Toronto�s S&P/TSX Composite Index CA:$ISPTX .

The move broke ranks with gains seen in the U.S. on the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA , which added 155.38 points, and S&P 500,SPX , which rose 14.22 points. U.S. stocks gained momentum as global central banks reported they may take action.

Canada�s information technology sector XX:TTTK led decliners, down 1.7%, followed by the consumer staples sector XX:TTCS which were off 1.2%.

Reuters

Research in Motion CA:RIM shares, down 3.6% at the close, were among the biggest decliners in the group.

RIM announced Thursday the nomination of financier Timothy Dattels to its board, replacing former Telefonica SA executive Antonio Viana-Baptista. Dattels is a senior partner at TPG Capital L.P. in San Francisco and former partner at Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The appointment did little to satisfy shareholders looking for a more dramatic revamping of the struggling Blackberry-maker�s board. Rim shares are off about 70% over the past 12 months.

Also making a notable move were Class B shares of Transat CA:TRZ.B , down 8.3% after the travel agent and tour operator reported second-quarter losses and financial results that fell short of analyst estimates.

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After slipping earlier in the day, metals mining stocks XX:TTMN � returned to positive territory, nudging the benchmark 0.8% higher by session�s close. Some gold stocks nevertheless were down, despite making headway previously this week. Among those hit hardest were NovaGold Resources CA:NG , falling 2.2%, and Franco-Nevada Corp. CA:FNV , down 1.5%. On the upside, shares of Kinross Gold Corp. CA:K �gained 5.6% on the day.

Gold for August delivery GCQ2 rose 20 cents to 1,619.60 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Stock Exchange, marking the fifth-straight session gain. Read more on gold.

Offsetting Thursday losses was the strength in energy supported by the rise in oil prices, said Fergal Smith, managing market strategist for ActionEconomics. Crude-oil futures for July continued to strengthen, rising 1.6%, to end at $83.91 a barrel, after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, at a meeting in Vienna, left its collective production ceiling unchanged. Read more on oil.

Canada�s currency USDCAD , rose 0.54% against its U.S. counterpart, with one U.S. dollar purchasing C$1.0228, down from C$1.0285 Wednesday.

The turns the loonie has made can be partially explained by speculation for further stimulus by the Fed, said Smith. While the U.S. dollar is lower more broadly, �in contrast the Canadian dollar has been relatively more robust,� said Smith.