TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto Stock Exchange’s main index reversed course and ended slightly lower despite strength in mining and energy issues, which rose along with a sharp rally in oil prices.The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 15.91 points, or 0.1 percent, at 13,139.64 in what was partly a reaction to its 178.14-point, or 1.4 percent, surge after the US Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady and signalled it would soften its credit-tightening bias.

“There’s always the propensity when you get a short-term pop like that, that you take something off the table because one thing we’ve all learned to live with in recent past is volatility,” said Peter Chandler, senior vice-president at Canaccord Capital.

Six of the TSX index’s 10 main groups ended lower Thursday, led down by a 1.3 percent drop in the technology sector and a 1.2 percent slide in the telecoms group.

Shares of oil and gas companies were up one percent as May US crude surged 3.5 percent to $61.69 a barrel on worries over tight US gasoline supplies ahead of the summer driving season.

EnCana gained C$1.33, or 2.4 percent, to C$57.36, while Suncor Energy rose C$1.25, or 1.5 percent, to C$83.88.

Shares of mining companies, part of the materials group, gained 1.7 percent.

Teck Cominco climbed C$1.65, or 2.1 percent, to C$79.42, while Inmet Mining jumped C$2.99, or five percent, to C$62.98.

But the financial services sector, which makes up about a third of the index’s total weight, slid 0.8 percent with Manulife Financial down 81 Canadian cents, or two percent, at C$39.55.

Elsewhere, shares of Canadian Pacific Railway dropped 47 Canadian cents, or 0.7 percent, to C$63.86 after it said Wednesday that tough winter weather in Western Canada and the US Midwest will weaken its results in the first quarter.

Shares of Nortel Networks slumped C$1.69, or 5.6 percent, to C$28.51 after North America’s biggest maker of telephone equipment said it would sell US$1 billion in senior unsecured convertible notes.

Nova Chemicals lost 81 Canadian cents, or 2.1 percent, to C$37.48 after saying it had agreed with Ineos to expand the two companies’ existing European joint venture to include North American assets.

Market volume was 402 million shares worth C$6.1 billion. Advancers outpaced decliners 935 to 665.

The blue chip S&P/TSX 60 index closed 3.34 points lower, or 0.44 percent, at 749.99.