Robust gold and energy issues helped Toronto stocks rise late in the session to finish with slight gains on Friday. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 27.18 points at 6,664.26. For the week, the benchmark index rose 1.3%.

Gold stocks climbed 2.6%, as rising global tensions and a weak U.S. dollar boosted bullion prices.

Kinross Gold finished up 15¢ at $3.47, Goldcorp rose 81¢ to $19.75, and Agnico-Eagle climbed 65¢ $21.95. Barrick Gold advanced 38¢ to $24.98.

Energy stocks climbed 0.96%, as crude oil and natural gas prices both rose.

Among active stocks, Bombardier rose 40¢ to $5.50, after the head of Canadian National Railway Paul Tellier, moved to take the helm of the airplane and train maker as of Jan. 13.

With nearly 50 million shares traded, it was the most active issue on the market.

CN named Hunter Harrison as its new president and CEO, effective January 1. Harrison was CN’s executive vice-president and COO. CN shares fell $1.28 to $67.58.

Nortel Networks rose 12¢ to $2.95.

Canada Life and Manulife both slipped late in the day after Canada Life’s board of directors rejected a takeover bid from Manulife, saying the offer “does not reflect the value of the company.”

Canada Life finished down 26¢ at $40.76, while Manulife fell 99¢ to $34.95.

Market momentum was positive, as advancing issues outnumbered decliners 628 to 499. Volume was a robust 277.6 million shares, valued in total at $3.04 billion.

The junior TSX Venture Exchange rose 12.03 points to 995.63.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 104.69 points to 8,433.71, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 37.13 points, or 2.65%, to finish at 1,362.42.

The Canadian dollar closed at US64.07¢, down 0.26 of a cent.