Markets have changed very little this morning, as divergent trading opinions fight to a draw. At midday, the Toronto Stock Exchange 300 composite index is up just seven points to 7683. Volume is fairly strong at 86.2 million shares, with sellers holding a 4:3 edge over buyers. Losers outnumber winners by a slightly narrower 5:4 margin.

A similar breakdown is evident by sector, with nine of 14 TSE groups on the downside. But there’s not much momentum in either direction. Golds, the weakest group, are down more than 2%. Energy stocks are notably weak, too, but most of the other slides are quite minor. Techs are strongest, up almost 3%, pushing the industrials up 1.4%. Utilities, consumer products and financials are higher too, with the financials led by the insurers.

Nortel Networks is finally attracting some bargain hunters today, it is up 2.6% in active trading. 8.2 million shares have changed hands. Other techs making gains are C-MAC, Celestica, Delrina and Ballard Power.

BCE is driving the utilities higher. Biotechs such as Theratechnologies and Oncolytics Biotech are taking the consumer stocks higher. Financials are higher, with insurers notably strong. banks are up too in active trading. Bank of Nova Scotia is leading the way.

The energy stocks are down, led by Talisman Energy, off 2% on news that it is buying Sweden’s Lundin AB, with operations in the Sudan and Libya. But the energy stocks are down generally, with slides evident in Cameco, Baytex Energy, Storm Energy, Precision Drilling and Canadian Hunter.

Old economy stalwarts such as Maverick Tube, Teck and Cominco are also weak.

Tundra Semi is one of the new economy names on the downside. It’s off 14% after it announced it will be reducing its expense base by approximately $1.5 million per quarter, through a reduction in continuing spending and a reduction in its work force by about 15%. As a result of the work force reduction, the company will record a special charge of $1.0 million to $1.5 million in the current quarter.

The CDNX is hardly unchanged today, too. It’s up a single point to 3242. Volume is weak at 13.4 million shares. Techs are weak, but oils and miners are up. Genoil Inc is the top trader, up 5% to 20¢ on 2.4 million shares.

The action comes after Genoil announced it has completed an agreement with Synenco Energy Inc. for testing of Genoil’s pilot heavy oil upgrading technology in the Athabasca oil sands. The firm has also agreed to the purchase of the water gas/hydrogen technology and other assets of FT Canada Ltd. for cash and warrants. The price was not disclosed.

In New York, stocks are similarly without direction. The Dow Jones industrial averageis up 20 points to 10667. The Nasdaq composite index has gained 13 points to 2044. The S&P has added even ticks to 1230.