Toronto stocks were mixed Friday as strength in resource issues was offset by worries over higher oil prices. At midday, the S&P/TSX composite index was off 5.64 points at 8,975.90. Volume was 124 million shares.

Only three of the TSX index’s 10 main groups were higher, with gold miners, a component of the materials group, the biggest winner.

The group climbed 1.75%, as the gold price recouped some of Thursday’s losses and firmed just below $445 an ounce.

The U.S. dollar moved lower today following comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan about the fact that foreigners may be reluctant to continue financing the U.S. debt.

A softer greenback makes U.S. dollar-priced bullion more appealing to foreign investors.

Barrick Gold was up 2.38% at $29.73.

The market’s materials group, which is made up of gold and base-metal miners, was also higher, up 0.41%.

Energy issues climbed 1.22% as winter supply concerns stemmed the recent drop in oil prices, and crude futures jumped to US$48 a barrel.

EnCana rose 2% to $62.95, while Petro-Canada was up 1% to $66.10.

Technology issues were down 1.68% on profit-taking after recent gains.

ATI Technologies lost the most ground, falling almost 6% to $23.21. Celestica was off 3.5% at $18.10.

Industrials fell 0.5% with oil prices weighing on transportation companies.

Canadian National Railway was down 1.8% at $65.90, and WestJet lost 0.85% to $11.60.

At midday, the junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index was up 12.13 points, or 0.72%, at 1,698.53, on volume of 46 million shares.

U.S. dollar weakness helped the Canadian dollar recover some of Thursday’s 0.86-cent tumble, rising 0.59 of a cent to US83.52¢.

On Wall Street, U.S. stocks pulled back sharply after Greenspan’s comments over the size of the U.S. current-account deficit sent the dollar tumbling.

At midday, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 105.89 points, or 1% at 10,466.66.

Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 26.16 points, or 1.24%, to 2,078.12.

The broader S&P 500 dropped 10.98 points, or 0.93% to 1,172.57.