stocks in toronto traded higher midday friday as energy shares led gainers thanks to a rise in crude oil futures driven in part by a threatened cut in exports from russia the miscellaneous sector industrial services and distribution services also were higher helping offset weakness in consumer durables and nondurables stocks as well as the electronic technology sector canadas sptsx composite index was 04 higher at 1943188 and the bluechip sptsx 60 was up 04 at 117330 among energy stocks athabasca oil corp was ahead 61 at c228 baytax energy corp was up 53 at c603 and tamarack valley energy ltd was up 48 at c441 shares of nfi group inc were up 27 at c924 after the bus manufacturer worked to improve its financial position by amending its credit facilities a move that scotia capital analysts expect will offer covenant relief without the need for nfi to significantly dilute its equity superior plus corps shares were 71 higher at c1090 after the fueldistribution company a day earlier said it was buying certarus ltd in a deal valued at 105 billion canadian dollars 7713 million complementing its portfolio with fuels such as compressured natural gas and hydrogen