Toronto stocks were mixed on Tuesday as strength in energy and financial issues were countered by weakness in technology stocks. The S&P/TSX composite index was up just 2.09 points at 9,484.46 at noon.
Volume was 101.1 million shares.

Only three of the TSX index’s 10 main groups were higher, but a 0.6% boost from the energy sector and a slight 0.1% gain by the heavily weighted financials group helped keep the main index above water.

Energy stocks, which have served to push the TSX lower as well as higher in recent days, added some lift as the price of U.S. crude flirted with the US$54 a barrel level.

Trican Oilwell Service Co Ltd was up $2.93, or 4.1%, at $74.29 and Imperial Oil added $1.41, or 1.6%, to $89.02.

Financial stocks, which had also slipped of late on interest rate fears, gained ground.

Bank of Montreal was up 36¢, or 0.7%, at $54.41. Northbridge Financial gained 51¢, or 1.8%, to $29.11.

But a 0.9% drop in the health-care group and a 0.3% fall by technology issues held back the gains.

Software maker Cognos Inc. was off $1.50, or 2.8%, at $51.65.

On Wall Street, bargain hunters sent stocks higher for a second straight session.

Investors discounted the latest reading of the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index, which showed a larger-than-expected drop in confidence for March. The index reading came in at 102.4, less than the 103 forecast from Wall Street and the 104 reading in February.

At midday, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 16.26, or 0.2%, to 10,501.91.

Broader stock indicators were modestly higher. The S&P 500 index was up 2.90, or 0.2%, at 1,177.18, and the Nasdaq composite index gained 5.23, or 0.3%, to 1,997.75.