TORONTO (Reuters) — The Toronto Stock Exchange’s main index closed just slightly higher yesterday as a retreat by oils and miners was countered by gains in the financial and information technology sectors.The S&P/TSX composite index rose only 1.45 points, or 0.01 percent, to close at 12,782.99, ending a three-day slump. Overall, six of the TSX index’s 10 main groups advanced.

“We’ve been bouncing around a fair bit today and this has been the trend for the last few days, as we seeing a flattening of positions heading into the year-end,” said Elvis Picardo, chief market strategist at Global Securities Corp. in Vancouver. The oil and gas group, which makes up nearly a third of the composite index, lost 0.5 percent, even though the price of crude rose due to a larger-than-expected decline in US crude stocks.

EnCana Corp. dropped 30 Canadian cents, or 0.5 percent, to C$55.15, while Suncor Energy Inc fell 67 Canadian cents, or 0.7 percent, to C$90.90.

Elsewhere, Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. surged C$6.50, or 15.3 percent, to C$49.00 after saying it was exploring strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of the company.

“M&A activity on both sides of the border continues to be really buoyant and I think that’s helping to prop up the market here,” Picardo said.

Shares of mining companies were down 2.3 percent due to mixed metal prices, although uranium producers had solid results.

Teck Cominco fell C$2.67, or 3 percent, to C$86.98.

“One of the main focus we’ve seen here is uranium since the uranium price got boosted on the weekend, all of these junior and mid-cap uranium producers have been pretty hot,” said Bruce Latimer, trader at Dundee Securities.

Uranium producer SXR Uranium One Inc. gained 42 Canadian cents, or 2.8 percent, to finish the day at C$15.37.

The financial sector rose 0.5 percent, with Royal Bank of Canada , the country’s largest bank, up 49 Canadian cents, or 1 percent, at C$55.09.

The information and technology group added 1.6 percent as Nortel Networks Corp , which announced a $2 billion supply deal with Verizon Wireless on Tuesday, gained C$1.43, or 5 percent, to C$29.73. In the health care group, Labopharm Inc. rose 3 Canadian cents, or 0.5 percent, to C$6.77 after it said it responded to concerns from US regulators about its once-daily formulation for pain medication, tramadol, and has also appealed action taken by the Food and Drug Administration.

Market volume was 342 million shares worth C$5.6 billion. Advancers outpaced decliners, 844 to 786. The blue chip S&P/TSX 60 index closed 0.34 points higher, or 0.05 percent, at 734.66.