Toronto markets moved in a narrow range Monday and trading activity was sluggish with U.S. markets closed for the Memorial Day holiday.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 35.21points, or 0.24%, at 14,758.57, as nine of the 10 major TSX groups gained today.

The financials group advanced 0.23%, as Canada’s big banks head into a week of earnings reports.

Bank of Montreal shares closed up 48¢, or 0.99%, at $49 the day before its scheduled to report. And the other big bank reporting tomorrow, the Bank of Nova Scotia, saw its stock gain 60¢, or 1.26%, to close at $48.20.

Meanwhile, CIBC stock closed down 2¢, or 0.03%, at $72.23, as investors are concerned about further writedowns related the credit crisis.

The heavyweight energy group gained 0.53%.

Shares in Talisman Energy rose $1.51, or 6.51%, to $24.70, after reports surfaced that Chinese oil firms are thinking about investing in the firm.

The materials group gained 0.02%, as Teck Cominco shares fell 84¢, or 1.69%, to close at $48.95.

Meanwhile, the gold sub-index ended the session flat, down just 0.01%.

Goldcorp Inc. shares slipped 26¢, or 0.63%, to $41.30 while Eldorado Gold Corp. shares gained 2¢, or 0.25%, to finish at $8.12.

In other news, BCE Inc. bondholders filed a motion today opposing the firm’s request for a quick appeal of a recent Quebec Court of Appeal decision at the Supreme Court of Canada level.

Cott Corp. shares gained 44¢, or 13.88%, to $3.61, after Crescendo Partners, a New York-based hedge fund, bought a stake in the company.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index closed up 12.38 points, or 0.46%, at 2,718.75.

The Canadian dollar closed at US100.81¢ against the greenback.

In New York, markets were closed for the Memorial Day holiday.

On Friday afternoon, the Dow Jones industrial Average dropped 1.16%, the S&P 500 fell 1.32% and the Nasdaq composite index fell 0.81%.