TORONTO - Stock markets slipped Monday but closed well above early lows as investors showed some confidence that the spring rally has staying power even after four weeks of gains.

Toronto's S&P/TSX composite index revived from a 147-point loss to close off 49.59 points at 9,016.17. Early declines in the energy sector mended even as the June crude contract in New York receded $1.46 to US$51.05 a barrel.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average stepped back 41.74 points to 7,975.85 after diving as much as 155 points. The Nasdaq slipped 15.16 points to 1,606.71 as investors fretted about the apparent collapse of IBM Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Sun Microsystems Inc.

Indexes in Toronto and New York sustained early triple-digit declines amid new concerns about the American financial sector and nervousness ahead of first-quarter corporate reports.

Financials, particularly in the U.S., were jolted as analyst Mike Mayo at Calyon Securities warned of "the ongoing consequences of increased risk-taking by banks." Mayo predicted loan losses relative to total loans will become worse than during the Great Depression.

The Canadian dollar declined 0.53 of a cent to 80.74 cents US after Statistics Canada reported that the value of building permits fell 15.9 per cent to $3.7 billion in February, largely due to a 30.5 per cent plunge in non-residential activity centred in Ontario.

The TSX Venture Exchange was 12.42 points lower to 963.17.

On the TSX senior market, Research In Motion Ltd. (TSX:RIM) helped pare index losses, gaining $5.24 or seven per cent to $78.04 after soaring 19 per cent Friday on a well-received earnings report and outlook.

Elsewhere, the tech sector was disconcerted by news that IBM has withdrawn its offer for Sun Microsystems, which reports had valued at US$7 billion. It was unclear whether talks were continuing, or if Sun was trying to find another suitor. Sun shares tumbled $1.91 or 22 per cent to US$6.58 while IBM slipped 66 cents to US$101.56.

The S&P 500 index declined 7.02 points to 835.48.

The stock market rally which started March 10, initially on good news from the American financial sector and bolstered since then by economic data that beat gloomy expectations, has sent the TSX up almost 20 per cent while the Dow is up about 22 per cent since both hit multi-year lows on March 9.

"It is evidence of how pessimistic people were at the end of February and early March," said Kate Warne, Canadian market specialist at Edward Jones in St. Louis, "and that the pessimism was overdone. And you're seeing, as the emotions shift, how quickly prices can shift in response."

Aluminum maker Alcoa kicks off the U.S. first-quarter reporting season Tuesday. Expectations for earnings overall are low and investors will focus on management forecasts.

"Companies have to come across with commentary that the worst is past," said Nicholas Colas, market strategist at BNY ConvergEx in New York.

"That is the most critical thing, and you have to hear it from a broad range of companies in a wide variety of industries."

The Toronto financial group eased 0.75 per cent after the Mayo prophecy of deeper woe for the industry. TD Bank (TSX:TD) dropped 92 cents to $45.26 and CIBC (TSX:CM) was down 56 cents at $48.31.

The May bullion contract in New York declined $24.50 to US$872.80 an ounce, taking the TSX gold sector down 3.25 per cent. Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX) faded $1.70 to C$35.61.

The base metals sector dipped 2.7 per cent with Sherritt International (TSX:S) down 14 cents to $3.33.

Shares in Teck Cominco Ltd. (TSX:TCK.B) declined five cents to $8.40 after it sold an interest in production at its Andacollo mine in Chile to Royal Gold. The Vancouver-based mining giant valued the deal at US$300 million, as it struggles under a huge debt burden arising from its $14-billion acquisition of Fording Canadian Coal Trust last year.

Canadian investors also took in news that the takeover of Allen-Vanguard Corp. (TSX:VRS) by Tailwind Financial in an all-stock deal worth $41.6 million has fallen through. The Ottawa-based maker of anti-bomb equipment said an unrelated deal is being contemplated to take the company private, and its shares rose 1.5 cents to 17 cents.

WestJet Airlines Ltd. (TSX:WJA) descended 40 cents to $11.85 after it filled 81.9 per cent of its seats last month, down from a load factor of 86.6 per cent in March 2008.

Shares in Potash Corp. (TSX:POT) moved down $1.44 to $103.65 after unionized workers at its Lanigan mine ratified a new contract. The union says wages in general will rise 18 per cent over three years and certain jobs will have a bigger increase.

Mega Brands Inc. (TSX:MB) tumbled 8.5 cents or 16 per cent to 44.5 cents after the toymaker reported deeper losses -- US$323.3 million in its latest quarter.

In New York, Ford Motor Co. ran up 52 cents or 16 per cent to US$3.77 after it completed a stock offering and used cash to lighten its debt by US$9.9 billion.