Toronto stocks ticked up slightly Thursday, as a falling energy sector largely offset gains in the broader market.

The S&P/TSX composite index finished up 6.04, or 0.06%, to 10,733.08.

Volume on the senior exchange was 292 million shares.

Seven of the 10 TSX main sub-groups were up, with the utilities sector gaining 3.13%.

Electric utility holding company Fortis Inc. gained $1.65, or 6.99%, to $25.25.

Light, sweet crude for December delivery fell $1.55 to US$56.33 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its lowest value since mid-June. The energy sector fell 0.87%

EnCana Corp. loses $1.33, or 2.47%, to $52.52.

A Talisman Energy shares advanced $2.31, or 4.31%, to $55.90 on a report that the company had received an informal takeover proposal, which was rejected.

Gold-mining shares, a component of the materials group, rallied for a second session as gold futures rose to an 18-year peak in New York.

The December gold contract settled up $7.80 at US$486.90.

Bema Gold Corp. gained 18¢, or 5.47%, to $3.47.

The healthcare group was by far the biggest loser of the session, falling 2.86%. It was dragged lower by Biovail Corp.. which fell 11.62%.

The drugmaker lost $3.45 to $26.25 after Anchen Pharmaceuticals Inc. received a tentative approval for its generic version of Wellbutrin XL, Biovail’s top-selling antidepressant.

In earnings news, Tembec reported a fourth quarter loss of $134.9 million from a year-ago profit of $90.7 million. Tembec shares slid 13¢, or 6.60%, to $1.84.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index finished up 18.79, up 0.94%, to 2,020.77.

In New York, markets were up on corporate results in the tech sector.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 45.46 points, or 0.43%, to end at 10,720.22, while the broader S&P500 Index was up 11.59 points, or 0.94%, at 1,242.80.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index gained 32.53 points, or 1.49%, to 2,220.46, its highest close since June 2001.

In economic news, U.S. home construction in October fell 5.6%, double analysts’ expectations.