Technology shares kept Bay Street afloat, although just barely, while declining oil prices gave Wall Street a boost in Tuesday morning trading.

At midday, the S&P/TSX index was up 1.70 points or 0.02% to 9373.59. The TSX Venture Exchange was down 15.72 points or 0.86% to 1807.44. On Wall Street, the Dow industrials added 15.59 points 0.15% to 10731.35. The Nasdaq was up 6.77 points or 0.33% to 2088.80 and the S&P 500 index added 1.44 points or 0.12% to 1203.16.

The Canadian dollar gained back what it lost Monday, adding 0.52 of a cent, to US80.12¢ after closing below the US80¢ mark for the first time since October.

In Toronto, technology shares were up 0.72% with Research In Motion up $1.45 to $95.75 and ATI Technologies was ahead 49¢ to $21.99. Nortel Networks had added 1¢ to $3.93.

Financials share were up 0.06% with bank of Nova Scotia added 26¢ to $39.45.

Energy shares lost 0.13% as the benchmark light, sweet crude fell 24¢ to US$45.04 per barrel in electronic trading by afternoon in Europe ahead of the opening of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Aluminum giant Alcan Inc. slipped $10.2 to $47.73 after the company said big one-time losses led to a fourth-quarter loss of $538 million or $1.46 a share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $96 million US or 30¢ per share. Share losses were limited as Alcan had warned Jan. 14 that its fourth-quarter operating profits would be 30 per cent lower than the aluminum producer earned in the third quarter because of the lower U.S. currency.

Gold stocks also took a hit, falling 0.05% as a group, as the price of bullion fell $2.30 to US$411.10 per ounce in New York as the U.S. dollar continued to strengthen and the International Monetary Fund was asked to look at selling some of its huge reserves to help cut African debt.

Goldcorp’s board has rejected a sweetened bid from Glamis Gold. Its shares were halted at the open pending that announcement. Its shares later traded 21¢ lower at $16.67. Stockholders are to vote Thursday on a friendly merger between Goldcorp and Wheaton River Minerals.

In New York, stocks were up slightly amid a slowdown in economic and corporate news, while the slide in oil prices lent some support. Wall Street awaits results from Cisco Systems Inc. the world’s No. 1 network equipment maker, after the New York close.

Nike fell 2.6% to US$83.92 after dealers said brokerage Merrill Lynch cut its rating on the U.S. sportswear firm to “neutral” from “buy.”

Marriott International Inc., the largest U.S. hotel operator, posted a better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit as a recovering travel industry drove room rates and occupancy higher. But it’s shares slid 2% to US$65.41 as its forecast fell below analysts’ expectations.

Overseas, Tokyo’s Nikkei Stock Average of 225 selected issues fell 9.43 points, or 0.08% to close at 11490.43 points.

Hong Kong shares edged up as traders bought Chinese companies.

The blue-chip Hang Seng Index rose 50.63 points, or 0.5%, to 13845.63 in a half-day session ahead of a three-day New Year holiday.

London’s FTSE 100 index added 5.3 points at 4,985.1.

Frankfurt’s DAX 30 lost 0.23 point at 4,366.12 while the Paris CAC 40 was down 5.55 points at 3,976.35.