Toronto stocks were lower on Thursday as ahead of the Good Friday holiday. At midday, the S&P/TSX composite index was off 16.33 points, or 0.2%, at 9,533.34.

Volume was 111.9 million shares.

All but two of the TSX index’s 10 main groups were lower, led by a 0.6% decline in technology issues and a 0.5% slide by the materials sector. Energy stocks were off 0.2%.

A little over half the TSX’s technology issues were lower including Research In Motion, which dipped $2.38, or 2.6%, to $90.68, and Sierra Wireless, which fell 19¢, or 1.8%, to $10.36.

Materials stocks were led lower by gold issues despite a firmer bullion price.

Bema Gold was off 13¢, or 4%, at $3.12, while Goldcorp slipped 9¢, or 0.5%, to $17.03.

Industrial stocks helped offset the losses with a 0.2% rise.

Royal Group added 81¢, or 7.2%, to $12.09.

The firm, which fired its top three executives last year amid fraud allegations, said today its founder would walk away from the company and repay almost $10 million in bonuses and gains from a land sale.

In New York, a modest rise in industrial orders and greater-than-expected rise in jobless claims eased Wall Street’s inflation fears Thursday, prompting investors to send stocks higher after the week’s sharp declines. A bullish profit forecast from General Electric Co. also fueled bargain hunting.

At midday, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 31.65, or 0.3%, to 10,487.67.

Broader stock indicators also gained ground. The S&P 500 index was up 3.43, or 0.3%, at 1,175.96, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index climbed 10.80, or 0.5%, to 2,001.02.