(Updated at 10:17 a.m. ET (15:17 GMT)
* TSX flat
* Materials sector top decliner
Dec 28 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index remained relatively unchanged on Thursday, with the downward pressure from declining commodity prices affecting energy and materials stocks, while advances in healthcare stocks capped losses.
At 10:17 a.m. ET (15:17 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was down 4.05 points, or 0.02%, at 21,011.86.
The energy sector was the top loser, sheding 0.3%, hurt by a decline of over $1 in crude prices as concerns eased about shipping disruptions along the Red Sea route.
Weighing on the energy index, Energy Fuels tumbled 7.5% to the bottom of TSX after the minerals company announced that the chief financial officer Tom Brock would step down.
The materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, fell 0.3% as both gold and copper prices slipped from their highs during the day.
"Copper has gone a long way over the past few sessions, so it looks like a bit of profit taking. There are still a few worries about Chinese growth and the property sector," said broker Robert Montefusco at Sucden Financial.
Investors locked in profits from a rally ahead of year-end as Friday marks the last trading day of the year, with the TSX expected to post a yearly win.
Top gainer healthcare index added 1.8%, following a 7.4% jump in cannabis company Tilray Brand shares, extending gains from the previous session.
Meanwhile, data showed initial claims for unemployment benefits rose last week in the U.S., indicating the labor market continues to cool in the year's fourth quarter and further supports bets of interest rate cuts in the upcoming year by the Federal Reserve, with other global central banks to follow. (Reporting by Khushi Singh in Bengaluru;Editing by Ravi Prakash Kumar)
