(Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell for the first time in four sessions on Thursday, as weakness in energy and material stocks outweighed hopes of a large fiscal stimulus package under new U.S. President Joe Biden.
* Biden took office on Wednesday and signed half a dozen executive orders. Last week, he outlined a $1.9 trillion relief package plan to jump-start the pandemic-stricken economy.
* The energy sector dropped 1.1% as both U.S. crude and Brent crude lost 0.5%, after industry data showed a surprise build in U.S. crude inventories that reignited pandemic-led demand concerns.
* The materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners, lost 0.8%.
* At 9:44 a.m. ET (14:44 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was down 67.21 points, or 0.37%, at 17,947.7.
* Cancer drug developer Trillium Therapeutics Inc fell 6.5%, the most on the TSX, extending losses from the prior session.
* The second biggest decliner was security software maker Blackberry Limited, down 5.4%, a day after hitting nearly a three-year high.
* On the TSX, 56 issues were higher, while 157 issues declined for a 2.80-to-1 ratio to the downside, with 19.57 million shares traded.
* The largest percentage gainers on the TSX were Lundin Mining Corporation, which jumped 3.3% after multiple brokerages raised their price targets on the miner's stock
* Its gains were followed by Cascades Inc, which rose 2.5%, after brokerage BMO started the coverage of the paper packaging firm with "outperform".
* The most heavily traded shares by volume were Bombardier Inc, Blackberry Limited and Zenabis Global Inc.
* The TSX posted one new 52-week highs and no new low.
* Across all Canadian issues there were 58 new 52-week highs and two new low, with total volume of 46.59 million shares.
(Reporting by Amal S in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)
