Toronto stocks closed higher Friday, thanks to gains in gold and energy issues. The Toronto Stock Exchange 300 composite index finished up 42.02 points at 7,690.51.

Overall 10 of the TSE 300’s 14 sub-indices advanced, led by the gold sub-index, which closed up 2.4%.

Franco-Nevada added $1.27 to $29.02, while Barrick Gold rose 23¢to $27.53.

Oil stocks advanced 1.7% , helped by an overnight explosion in a Kuwaiti oil field.

Alberta Energy shares jumped $2.40 to $64.70, while PanCanadian rose $1.85 to $44.60.

Financial stocks were up moderately with a 0.5% gain. Sun Life Financial was the most active financial issue, gaining 85¢ to $31.75. National Bank added 60¢ to $30.60.

Market momentum was positive as advances outpaced declines 638 to 409. Volume was 204 million shares.

Small cap stocks closed higher today. The S&P/CDNX Composite Index closed up 14.03 at 1,132.56. Trading was heavy on a volume of 44.8 million shares, with 262 advances and 185 declines.

In New York, stocks closed lower Friday as fairly positive economic reports failed to lure buyers to Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average ended with a loss of 12.74 points to 9,907.26.

The Nasdaq composite index fell 22.78 points to 1,911.25, and the S&P 500 dropped eight points to 1,122.20.

According to the U.S. Labor Department, the economy shed 89,000 nonfarm jobs in January, but the overall unemployment rate fell to 5.6% from 5.8%. Economists had been expecting about 60,000 lost jobs and an unemployment rate of 5.9%.

The Institute for Supply Management, formerly the National Association of Purchasing Management, said its manufacturing index rose to 49.9 in January from 48.2 in December, close to the 50 consensus.

The Canadian dollar ended the day at US62.90¢, down 0.10¢ on the day.