(Updated at 10:00 a.m. ET/ 1500 GMT)

By Nikhil Sharma and Ragini Mathur

Dec 3 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index nudged up on

Tuesday, partly supported by mining stocks, while financials

slipped after Bank of Nova Scotia ( BNS ) missed estimates for

fourth-quarter profit.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index

was up 32.59 points, or 0.13%, at 25,622.73.

Canada's materials sector jumped 1.9%, as gold

edged higher on rebounding expectations of a U.S. rate cut in

December, while copper prices climbed against a soft dollar.

"Even though it's the start of bank earning season, it looks

like it's more of a resource story today," said Colin

Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management.

The heavyweight financials sector, which accounts

for nearly a third of the composite index's total weight,

limited overall gains by falling 0.16%, with Bank of Nova Scotia ( BNS )

dropping 4.3%.

Scotiabank, which kicked off Canadian banks' quarterly

reporting season, missed profit estimates due to higher taxes

and elevated expenses on compensation and technology.

However, the lender reported that its credit loss provisions

fell to C$1.03 billion from C$1.26 billion last year.

"So far that part is encouraging," said Cieszynski, adding,

"If we see more of that from the other banks, that would be a

really good thing.

The top banks over the past year had to set aside more money

for bad loans as clients struggled with mortgage and loan

payments due to high interest rates and elevated living costs.

The industrials sector also fell 0.7%.

South of the border, the JOLTS report showed U.S. job

openings rose to 7.744 million in October, compared with

estimates of a gain of 7.475 million, as per economists polled

by Reuters.

The data sets the stage for the monthly payroll figures on

Friday that could influence the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest

rate decision at its Dec. 17-18 policy meeting.

Market participants are pricing in a 70.3% chance of a

quarter-point cut at this month's Fed meeting.