Canadian equities ended Wednesday's session in negative territory as sector losses in Energy, Materials and Healthcare pushed the S&P/TSX Composite down 0.70% at the Toronto close.
Market breadth tilted toward declines: 528 stocks fell versus 441 advancers, while 76 issues finished unchanged.
Top and bottom movers
Among the strongest performers on the S&P/TSX Composite, goeasy Ltd (TSX:GSY) led gains, rising 6.42% or 2.30 points to close at 38.15. West Fraser Timber Co Ltd (TSX:WFG) advanced 4.39% or 3.87 points to 92.10, and Exchange Income Corporation (TSX:EIF) added 4.25% or 4.82 points to finish at 118.27. Exchange Income's share price reached an all-time high on the session, gaining the stated 4.25% to 118.27.
On the downside, G Mining Ventures Corp (TSX:GMIN) was the weakest of the session, falling 7.12% or 3.11 points to 40.56. Enerflex Ltd. (TSX:EFX) declined 6.18% or 2.31 points to end at 35.04, while K92 Mining Inc (TSX:KNT) dropped 6.17% or 1.56 points to 23.74.
Volatility and commodities
The S&P/TSX 60 VIX, which tracks implied volatility for S&P/TSX Composite options, decreased 0.35% to 14.21, signaling a modest retreat in implied option volatility relative to the prior close.
Commodity prices moved lower during the session. Gold futures for August delivery fell 1.07%, a decline of $48.33, to settle at $4,486.67 a troy ounce. Oil posted larger losses: the July crude contract slipped 4.65% or $4.37 to $89.52 a barrel, while the August Brent contract declined 3.85% or $3.72 to $92.95 a barrel.
Currency and broader indicators
In foreign-exchange trading, CAD/USD was effectively unchanged at 0.72, up 0.17% as reported, and CAD/EUR held near 0.62, showing a 0.12% change reported as unchanged. The US Dollar Index Futures was marginally higher, up 0.04% to 99.14.
Overall, the close reflected sector-specific weakness concentrated in materials, energy and healthcare, offset in part by gains in select industrials and timber names. Market participants also saw declines in major commodity contracts during the session.