CANADA STOCKS-TSX dips as slower housing market weighs on financials

(Adds portfolio manager quotes and details throughout; updates prices)

* TSX closes down 9.45 points, or 0.06 percent, at 15,165.36

* Six of TSX's 10 main sector groups end lower

* Canadian home sales see largest drop since 2010

* Materials group rises 1.5 percent

By Fergal Smith

TORONTO, July 17 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index edged lower on Monday as data showing a slowdown in the housing market weighed on the outlook for financials, offsetting gains for the materials group as metal prices climbed.

The resale of Canadian homes fell 6.7 percent in June from May, the largest monthly drop since 2010 and the third straight monthly decline.

"A slowdown in real estate is somewhat of a negative for the banks," said Lorne Steinberg, president, Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. "Mortgage origination, consumer loans - all of that has been a huge boost for the Canadian banking sector."

Toronto-Dominion Bank fell 0.5 percent to C$64.86, while commercial real estate services company Colliers International Group Inc slumped 7.7 percent to C$70.29. The overall financial services group ended down 0.3 percent.

Investors worry that higher interest rates will add to a slowdown in Canada's real estate market and weigh on the country's economy.

"A stronger Canadian dollar as well is somewhat of a negative for the Canadian economy and for Canadian exporters," Steinberg added.

The loonie touched its strongest level in 14 months at C$1.2627 per U.S. dollar after the Bank of Canada last week raised interest rates for the first time in seven years.

Industrials fell 0.7 percent, including losses for railroad stocks. Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd, which will release earnings on Wednesday, fell 1.2 percent to C$208.30.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index closed down 9.45 points, or 0.06 percent, at 15,165.36.

Six of the index's 10 main industry groups ended lower.

The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, added 1.5 percent. First Quantum Minerals Ltd jumped 8.8 percent to C$13.69 and Lundin Mining Corp advanced 4.9 percent to C$8.29.

Both miners produce copper, nickel and zinc. Copper prices reached their highest level since early March on the back of better-than-expected economic data from top consumer China, while nickel and zinc also gained.

Gold miners also rose as the price of the precious metal climbed.

Dominion Diamond Corp rose 5.6 percent to C$17.85, after the world's third-largest diamond producer by market value agreed to a sweetened takeover offer from The Washington Companies, valuing it at $1.2 billion.

NexGen Energy Ltd rose 7.4 percent to C$3.18. But the energy group was little changed overall as oil prices fell.

U.S. crude futures settled 52 cents lower at $46.02 a barrel. (Additional reporting by Alastair Sharp, editing by G Crosse)