Toronto stocks closed higher Tuesday, as the energy sector pulled the market forward despite losses in the information technology sector.

The S&P/TSX composite index gained 26.35, or 0.24%, to 11,180.63.

Volume on the senior exchange was 468 million shares.

Six of the 10 TSX main sub-groups fell, with the information technology sector giving up 1.02.

Nortel Networks fell 13¢, or 3.45%, to $3.64.

The energy sector gained 1.05%.

The crude oil contract closed up 64¢ at US$57.98 a barrel. PetroCanada lifted $1.11, or 2.38%, to $47.75.

The consumer discretionary group was up 0.60%.

Hudson’s Bay Co. gained 14¢, or 1%, to $14.65 after Jerry Zucker’s Maple Leaf Heritage Investments Acquisition Corp. said it has signed a confidentiality agreement to examine the books of the retailer, in which it is the biggest stockholder. Heritage’s expiry date of its $832-million offer has been extended until the end of January from the end of this year.

The Canadian dollar closed down 0.28 of a cent to US85.24¢.

The S&P/TSX Venture composite index finished down 14.52 points, or 0.68%, to 2,128.20.

On Wall Street, stocks fell in a volatile session, with a sharp decline in General Motors Corp. dragging down the Dow Jones industrial average.

The Dow closed down 30.98 points at 10,805.55, the S&P 500 ended off 0.30 point at 1,259.62 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.32 point to 2,222.42.

General Motors experiencing a drop of 5.7% to US$18.65, after J.D. Power and Associates said it was losing market share to its Asian rivals.