CANADA STOCKS-TSX falls as miners weigh, BoC and US Fed in spotlight

* TSX down 0.3%

* Bank of Canada holds benchmark rate at 2.25%

* Oil prices climb almost 4%; gold slips (Updates prices and details throughout)

By Tharuniyaa Lakshmi

April 29 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index slipped into the red on Wednesday as investors digested the Bank of Canada's latest interest-rate decision and braced for a policy update from the U.S. Federal Reserve.

At 10:33 a.m. ET, the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was down 0.3% at 33,486.15 points. The index was on track for fifth-straight session of declines, which would mark its longest streak of losses since December 2024.

As widely expected, the Bank of Canada held its benchmark interest rate steady at 2.25%, signaling that any future adjustments could be modest if the economy stays in line with its projections.

However, BoC Governor Tiff Macklem warned that if oil prices remain elevated and start feeding through to inflation, the central bank may need to respond with rate hikes.

"There are still the risks of shocks and it's very unclear how long this energy shock will last," said Josh Sheluk, portfolio manager at Verecan Capital Management.

"So I think they're on hold until they have a reason not to be."

The BoC's remarks land at a sensitive time for global central banks, which are grappling with inflation risks tied to higher energy prices fueled by the Middle East conflict.

Canada, as a net oil exporter, is considered relatively shielded from the worst of those pressures.

Investors are now focusing on the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy statement and commentary, due at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

On the geopolitical front, President Donald Trump said he was dissatisfied with Tehran's latest proposal to bring the two-month conflict to an end.

Seven of the TSX's 11 sectors were in negative territory.

The materials subindex, which includes Canadian metal miners, led the losses with a 1.7% fall as spot gold and silver slid.

Technology stocks fell 0.8%.

On the flip side, energy shares gained 1.9% as oil prices rose nearly 4%. (Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore and Shreya Biswas)