Toronto stocks were mixed Friday as investors responded to a weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs report and a surging Canadian dollar. At midday, the S&P/TSX composite index was ahead 6.16 points at 8,831.54 on volume of 170 million shares.

The Canadian dollar broke through the US80¢ level Friday morning for the first time in more than 11 years, on the sharp contrast between September jobs reports in the U.S. and Canada.

The dollar touched US80.01¢ around 11:00 ET before slipping back to US79.96¢ in late morning trading, up 0.68 of a cent.

The Canadian economy created another 43,000 jobs in September, pushing the unemployment rate down to 7.1% from 7.2% in August, Statistics Canada said today.

Seven of the 10 TSX groups were higher at midday, with the largest gains in the materials group, up 0.76%.

Materials got a boost from gold stocks, which rose 2.08%, as investors dumped U.S. dollars for gold in response to the weak jobs report.

Wheaton River, the session’s most active stock so far, jumped 9¢ or 2.27% to $4.06. Iamgold was ahead 30¢ or 2.90% at $10.65.

Energy issues eased 0.69% as investors locked in profits, and technology shares fell 1.18%.

Among individual stocks, Forzani Group said it slashing its full-year profit forecast after a disappointing back-to-school sales season. Full-year earnings now are expected to be “similar to” last year’s 86¢ a share, the firm said Friday, down from a previous forecast of $1.02 to $1.10. Forzani shares fell $1.27 or 10.5% to $10.81.

Lorus Therapeutics said it reduced its first-quarter loss to $6.2 million from $8.2 million as clinical trials of a key drug advanced, and the firm sharply cut research and development expenses. Lorus shares rose 4¢ to 80¢.

In other health-care news, Eugene Melnyk stepped aside Thursday as chief executive of Biovail. Melnyk will stay as Biovail’s chairman and remains the largest shareholder of the firm. Biovail shares climbed 92¢ or 3.9% to $24.42.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index was ahead 9.88 to 1,687.07.

On Wall Street, stocks fell as a report showing slower-than-expected U.S. jobs growth and high oil prices overshadowed higher earnings at General Electric.

The U.S. Labor Department reported only 96,000 jobs were created while the unemployment rate held steady at 5.4% in September.

At midday, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 30.28 or 0.30% to 10,095.02.

The S&P 500 was off 3.59 or 0.32% to 1,127.06, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index was down 14.03 or 0.72% at 1,934.49.

General Electric said its third-quarter earnings were up 11%, while revenues rose 15%.

Canadian markets will be closed Monday for Canada’s Thanksgiving holiday. U.S. stock markets will be open, but bond markets will not.