Toronto stocks were moderately higher Friday morning, getting a boost from the information technology and energy sectors. At midday, the S&P/TSX composite index was up 16.85 points, or 0.18%, at 9320.56.

Volume was light at 131 million shares.

Five of the 10 TSX main groups were higher led by a by a 1.15% advance in the information technology group.

A U.S. brokerage upgrade on semiconductor stocks boosted sector.

Research In Motion rose $3.87, or 4.19%, to $96.27, while ATI Technologies gained 19¢, or 0.88% to $21.90.

Energy stocks were up 0.78%, oil prices rose 40¢ to US$46.85 in New York.

Gold stocks were off 1.01%, this in turn had the materials group down 0.25%.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index was up 10.48 points, or 0.58%, at 1,823.99, with 50.5 million shares changing hands.

Friday morning, Statistics Canada said Canada’s economy lost 5,700 jobs in January. The report was worse than analysts expected, and makes it less likely ever that the Bank of Canada would hike interest rates next month,

On Wall Street, markets were also higher, Despite early disappointment over U.S. jobs figures,

The U.S. economy generated 146,000 new jobs in January, below market expectations for 190,000.

At midday, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 34.88 points, or 0.33%, at 10,627.98.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index was ahead 12.20 points, or 0.59%, at 2,069.84,

The broader S&P 500 was up 5.08 points, or 0.43%, at 1,1984.97.