• TSX ends down 0.4% at 21,324.31
• Utilities sector loses 2.2%
• Financials decline ahead of bank earnings
• Materials group falls on lower metal prices

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Canada's commodity-linked main stock index pulled back from a 22-month high on Monday as metal prices fell and investors turned cautious ahead of earnings reports this week from major domestic banks.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) , opens new tab ended down 88.84 points, or 0.4%, at 21,324.31, after posting on Friday its highest closing level since April 2022.

"There's not a lot of urgency to buy anything today," said Greg Taylor, portfolio manager at Purpose Investments. "Everyone's more just recovering from the big week we had last week with some big moves in technology."

The high-dividend paying utilities sector lost 2.2% as bond yields climbed and financials, the most heavily-weighted sector on the TSX by far, were down 0.7%.

Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO) , opens new tab and Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) , opens new tab are due to report earnings on Tuesday, kick-starting Canada's bank earnings season.

"There's still some nervousness with the banks ... Some of the (analyst) previews were a little more cautious on commercial real estate," Taylor said.

The materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, declined 1.2% as gold and copper prices fell.

Technology was a bright spot, adding 0.7%, while energy was up 0.5% as oil settled 1.4% higher at $77.58 a barrel on possible shipping disruptions.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/tsx-sees-downbeat-start-week-commodity-prices-trend-lower-2024-02-26/