The benchmark index of the Toronto Stock Exchange finished flat on Friday, the last trading day of 2006. The S&P/TSX composite index lost 1.15 points, or 0.01%, to close at 12,908.39, a gain of 14.5% for the year.

Overall, six of the 10 main TSX groups closed lower Friday.

The resource-laden materials group gained 0.16%. It jumped 38% this year.

On Friday, Teck Cominco Ltd. shares rose 95¢ to $87.90.

A profit warning by Ipsco Inc. dragged the steelmaker’s shares down $1.74, or 1.6%, to close at $109.58.

The energy sector closed flat on Friday. It was the star performer on the TSX last year but advanced only 1.5% this year.

On Friday, the February contract for crude oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange was up 52¢ to US$61.05 a barrel.

The financial sector, already up 15.1% this year on a steady stream of positive earnings reports, dividend increases and low interest rates, moved up 0.1% Friday with Royal Bank ahead 1¢ to $55.50.

The TSX Venture composite index gained 26.94 points at 2,987.08, up 33.5% from the start of 2006.

The Canadian dollar slipped 0.39 of a cent to US85.81¢, 0.17 cent below where it started the year.

On Wall Street, the main U.S. indexes dipped for the day, but also finished with a winning year.

The Dow Jones industrial average gave up 38.37 points, or 0.31%, to close at 12,463.15.

The S&P 500 declined 6.43 points, or 0.45%, to 1,418.30. The Nasdaq composite index shed 10.28 points, or 0.42%, to 2,415.29.

Declines in some software shares kept the Nasdaq just short of a double-digit gain for the year. The tech-heavy index finished up 9.5%, while the S&P 500 gained 13.6% and the Dow surged 16.3%.

For the week, the Dow added about 1%, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.5% and the Nasdaq gained 0.6%.

World financial markets will be closed Monday for New Year’s Day.

U.S. stock trading will not resume until Wednesday, with markets closed on Tuesday to observe a national day of mourning for former U.S. President Gerald Ford, who died earlier this week. Markets will be closed on Monday for New Year’s Day.