Toronto stocks ended higher Friday, as a strong day in financials offset a drop in the energy group.

The S&P/TSX composite index gained 43.77, or 0.39%, to 11,136.58.

Volume on the senior exchange was a robust 355 million shares.

Six of the 10 TSX main sub-groups were up. The financials group was the biggest advancer, gaining 1.67%.

Royal Bank shares rose $1.70, or nearly 2%, to $88.60, while TD gained $1.38, or 2.35%, to $60.03. Scotiabank gained 86¢, or 1.92%, to $45.75.

The energy sector fell 1.67%, and the health care group dropped 1.62%.

A barrel of light crude was quoted at US$58, down $1.93 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

EnCana Corp. fell $2.35, or 4.14%, to $54.40, while Canadian Natural Resources fell $1.80, or nearly 3% to $59.35.

The Canadian dollar closed trading at US86.27¢, up 0.05 of a cent.

The S&P/TSX Venture composite index finished up 5.86, or 0.27%, to 2,143.95.

On Wall Street, the stock gauges ended a touch lower on Friday as major oil company stocks slid following a drop of nearly $2 a barrel in crude, while U.S. technology shares fell after software maker Oracle Corp. posted a lower profit.

Volume was heavy and the market was volatile as traders rolled forward or exited positions with the expiration of December futures and options contracts, known as “quadruple witching.”

The Dow Jones industrial average finished down 6.08 points, or 0.06%, at 10,875.59. The S&P 500 Index was down 3.62 points, or 0.28%, at 1,267.32. The technology-laced Nasdaq composite index was down 8.15 points, or 0.36%, at 2,252.48.

For the week, the Dow rose 0.90%, the S&P 500 edged up 0.63% and Nasdaq dipped 0.19%. For the year the Dow has risen 0.86%, the S&P is up 4.57% and the Nasdaq has gained 3.54%.