CANADA STOCKS-TSX slips as SNC Lavalin, golds offset U.S. jobs optimism

TORONTO, March 8 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index was little changed in choppy early trade on Friday, with optimism following positive U.S. jobs data offset by a decline in gold stocks and in SNC Lavalin Group Inc after the engineering company reported quarterly results. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was down 8.59 points, or 0.07 percent, at 12,817.93. The index briefly turned positive after opening lower.