Canadian stocks finished the trading day higher on Thursday, with the Toronto benchmark hitting a fresh intraday and closing high. The S&P/TSX Composite closed up 1.19%, establishing a new all-time closing level.
Sectors that led the market higher included Healthcare, Financials and Materials, which together helped drive the broader index gain.
Top and bottom movers
At the company level, Curaleaf Holdings Inc (TSX:CURA) was the session's top performer, advancing 7.19% - an increase of 0.34 points - to finish at 5.07. Bausch Health Companies Inc (TSX:BHC) added 5.94%, rising 0.41 points to close at 7.31. Constellation Software Inc. (TSX:CSU) also posted a strong advance, up 5.50% or 151.31 points to end the session at 2,901.56.
Notable decliners included TransAlta Corp (TSX:TA), which fell 10.36% or 2.08 points to 18.00 at the close. Transcontinental Inc (TSX:TCLa) slid 9.77%, a drop of 0.51 points, to 4.71. Celestica Inc. (TSX:CLS) ended the day down 7.08% or 45.05 points, settling at 591.01.
Market breadth and volatility
Market breadth favored advancers, with 578 names rising versus 376 decliners on the Toronto Stock Exchange, and 81 issues finishing unchanged. Measures of implied volatility moved lower: the S&P/TSX 60 VIX fell 6.10% to 13.23.
Commodities and currencies
Commodities showed mixed direction. Gold futures for August delivery rose 0.85%, gaining 38.05 to $4,504.95 per troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for July delivery declined 3.11%, down 2.99 to $93.03 a barrel, while the August Brent contract fell 2.63%, a drop of 2.57 to trade at $95.24 a barrel.
On the currency front, the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar was effectively unchanged, moving 0.09% to 0.72. The CAD/EUR rate was also effectively unchanged, shifting 0.17% to 0.62. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures was down 0.08% at 99.43.
Takeaway
The close left the S&P/TSX Composite at a record high, supported by gains across several sectors and a greater number of advancing issues than decliners. At the same time, individual stocks experienced sharp one-day moves and commodity prices were mixed, reflecting varied influences across markets.