Strength in technology and industrial stocks helped Canada's main stock index creep higher in early-afternoon trading, while U.S. stock markets fell on the final day of trading for the week.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index was up 12.56 points, or 0.06 per cent, at 20,643.25.

In New York, during late-morning trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 54.51 points at 33,732.11. The S&P 500 Index was down 4.48 points at 4,125.31, while the Nasdaq Composite was down 9.84 points at 12,049.72.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.88 cents U.S. compared with 74.24 cents U.S. on Thursday.

The June crude contract was up 43 cents at US$77.80 per barrel and the June natural gas contract was down three cents at US$2.40 per mm/BTU.

The June gold contract was down US$30.00 at US$1,989.10 an ounce and the May copper contract was down four cents at US$3.99 a pound.