* The technology sector gained 1.2% with major tech stocks including Shopify Inc and Constellation Software Inc among the top contributors.
* Canadian factory activity in July grew at the slowest pace in five months as supply chain pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic weighed, data showed. However, the rate of expansion remained firm.
* At 9:41 a.m. ET (13:41 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was up 43.24 points, or 0.21%, at 20,331.04.
* The energy sector dropped 1.5% as U.S. crude prices were down 1.8% a barrel, while Brent crude lost 1.5%. [O/R]
* The financials sector gained 0.1%. The industrials sector rose 0.2%.
* The materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, lost 0.7% as gold futures fell 0.4% to $1,811 an ounce. [GOL/]
* On the TSX, 96 issues were higher, while 129 issues declined for a 1.34-to-1 ratio to the downside, with 21.03 million shares traded.
* The largest percentage gainers on the TSX were e-commerce giant Shopify Inc, which jumped 4%, and forest products company Canfor Corp, which rose 3.9%.
* Bausch Health Cos Inc fell 4.9%, the most on the TSX, after the drugmaker said it planned to pursue an initial public offering of its medical aesthetics business Solta Medical.
* The second biggest decliner was miner Lithium Americas, down 4.5%.
* The most heavily traded shares by volume were Bank of Montreal, Suncor Energy Inc, and Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd.
* The TSX posted no new 52-week highs and no new lows.
* Across all Canadian issues there were 89 new 52-week highs and five new lows, with total volume of 42.93 million shares.
(Reporting by Amal S in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
