Stocks rebounded on Tuesday as investors looked for bargains. Markets also benefited from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to hold interest rates steady. The S&P/TSX composite index rose 68.66 points to finish at 8,503.27 on volume of 284 million shares.

Today’s gains were broad-based as all of the TSX’s 10 subgroups ended higher.

The technology sector led with a 1.35% rise.

Among tech issues, Nortel Networks rose 22¢ to $7.20. The TSX giant had sparked a selling frenzy in the previous session when it suspended two top finance executives.

Elsewhere in the group, Sierra Wireless was up $1.34 at $40.20 while ATI Technologies advanced 51¢ to $19.59.

The utilities sector gained 1%, industrials rose 0.92%, while materials increased 0.81%.

The materials group was underpinned by gold-mining issues which gained 1.38% as bullion prices held firm on safe-haven interest in the wake of the Madrid bombings.

Among individual stocks, investors regained confidence in troubled Royal Group Technologies after the company said it was not itself the target of an RCMP probe into transactions the firm. However, the Ontario Securities Commission issued a statement which said OSC staff is continuing to pursue its investigation into the disclosure records, financial affairs and trading in the shares of Royal. Royal Group shares gained 88¢ to close at $14.43.

In a related story, Ontario’s integrity commissioner has endorsed Finance Minister Greg Sorbara’s decision to keep quiet for two months about a probe into Royal Group, where he was once a director. Sorbara had no choice but to keep what he knew about the OSC’s investigation into Royal Group to himself until the company disclosed the probe in February, Integrity Commissioner Coulter Osborne said in a letter released Tuesday.

Canadian Superior Energy is facing several class action lawsuits and accusations the junior gas producer issued “false and misleading statements” regarding its exploration well in the North Atlantic that’s now being abandoned. Its shares fell 52¢ to close at $1.68.

In earnings news, Transcontinental Inc, the parent company of Investment Executive said cost reductions offset tough market conditions and lower spending by some newspaper and magazine advertisers to help it earn $26 million in the first quarter. The profit of 30¢ a share is down from $30 million, or 34¢ a share, a year earlier. Transcontinental class A shares closed at $26, down $1.95.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index fell 13.72 points to finish at 1,826.27.

In New York, stocks finished higher after the Fed opted to keep interest rates unchanged at 46-year lows.

The Dow Jones industrials gained 81.78 points to 10,184.67. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index edged up 3.89 points to 1,943.09. The broader S&P 500 rose 6.21 points to 1,110.70.