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TSX ends down 8.97 points at 25,060.24

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Technology sector loses 0.5%

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Energy gains 0.6%; oil settles up 1.6%

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Report says PM Carney to call election on Sunday

(Updates at market close)

By Fergal Smith

March 20 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index ended

marginally lower on Thursday, with losses for technology

offsetting gains for energy shares as investors weighed economic

uncertainty and turned their attention to an expected general

election.

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

ended down 8.97 points, or 0.04%, at 25,060.24, after

posting on Wednesday its biggest advance in seven months.

U.S. stocks posted deeper declines as investors weighed

notes of caution from world central bank leaders regarding

mounting economic uncertainties stemming from U.S. President

Donald Trump's tariff policies.

Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said the uncertainty

over the effect of tariffs meant it had to change the way it

conducted monetary policy to become less forward-looking than

normal.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is poised to call a snap

federal election on Sunday for April 28, the Globe and Mail

reported. Carney captured the Liberal leadership two weeks ago

by persuading party members he was the best person to take on

Trump.

"With the appointment of Carney as the PM some of the

political risk might have declined," said Elvis Picardo,

portfolio manager at Luft Financial, iA Private Wealth. "The

elections could be around the corner but even so the very fact

that the nation is no longer headless, I think that's a

positive."

The TSX has added 1.3% since the beginning of the year,

which contrasts with a decline of 3.7% for U.S. benchmark the

S&P 500.

"It could be a story of better valuations," Picardo said.

"We have seen rotation from the high flyers in the U.S. to

beaten down markets like Europe and to some extent China and

possibly Canada fits that better valuation story as well."

The energy sector added 0.6% as the price of oil settled

1.6% higher at $68.26 a barrel after the United States issued

new Iran-related sanctions.

Most other major sectors posted declines, with technology

down 0.5%.