Canada's stock market closed mixed on Thursday, with the S&P/TSX Composite ending the session down 0.10% after losses in several major sectors. Financials, Healthcare and Consumer Staples were among the sectors that contributed to the downward pressure on the index.
At the close in Toronto, decliners outnumbered advancers by a margin of 586 to 376, while 80 issues finished unchanged, indicating broader weakness across the exchange.
Top performers
- Ero Copper Corp (TSX:ERO) led the gainers, rising 5.44% or 2.56 points to close at 49.61.
- Kinross Gold Corporation (TSX:K) added 5.18% or 2.13 points to finish at 43.38.
- Sprott Inc. (TSX:SII) climbed 4.40% or 7.33 points to end the session at 174.11.
Largest decliners
- Energy Fuels Inc. (TSX:EFR) fell 6.38% or 1.31 points to close at 19.21.
- Aritzia Inc (TSX:ATZ) declined 5.50% or 7.59 points to finish at 130.47.
- CAE Inc. (TSX:CAE) dropped 4.01% or 1.44 points to end at 34.47.
The S&P/TSX 60 VIX, a measure of implied volatility on S&P/TSX Composite options, increased 0.93% to 14.13, reflecting a modest uptick in expected near-term market volatility.
Commodities showed strength during the trading session. Gold Futures for December delivery rose 0.69% or 31.44 to $4,576.74 a troy ounce. Crude oil for October delivery was higher by 2.58% or 2.18, reaching $86.57 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract climbed 2.02% or 1.85 to trade at $93.47 a barrel.
On the currency front, CAD/USD was unchanged 0.13% to 0.73, while CAD/EUR was unchanged 0.13% to 0.62. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.07% at 98.80.
This session displayed a split market dynamic: resource and gold-related names posted some of the strongest gains, while a range of companies in Financials, Healthcare and Consumer Staples recorded declines. The overall small dip in the headline index combined with a rise in volatility suggests cautious sentiment among investors heading into the next trading session.