Toronto equities finished modestly lower on Monday, with pressure coming primarily from the Materials, Consumer Discretionary and Financials sectors. At the close, the S&P/TSX Composite was down 0.15%.
Top and bottom performers
Among individual names, Thomson Reuters Corp (TSX:TRI) recorded the largest gain on the S&P/TSX Composite, rising 5.17% or 6.55 points to close at 133.22. AbraSilver Resource Corp (TSX:ABRA) added 5.00% or 0.70 points to finish at 14.71, and Methanex Corporation (TSX:MX) was up 4.84% or 3.33 points to 72.18 by the market close.
On the downside, Montage Gold Corp (TSX:MAU) led decliners, sliding 10.39% or 1.79 points to end the session at 15.43. First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (TSX:FM) fell 8.38% or 3.29 points to 35.97, while MDA Ltd (TSX:MDA) dropped 7.25% or 3.49 points to close at 44.68.
Market breadth and volatility
Decliners outpaced advancers on the Toronto Stock Exchange, with 536 stocks falling versus 442 advancing and 77 finishing unchanged. The S&P/TSX 60 VIX, which reflects the implied volatility of options on the S&P/TSX Composite, rose 7.21% to 13.82.
Commodities and currencies
Commodity prices moved markedly during the session. Gold Futures for August delivery were down 2.61% or 107.35 to $4,006.35 a troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for August delivery climbed 9.61% or 6.86 to $78.27 a barrel, and the September Brent contract gained 9.87% or 7.50 to trade at $83.51 a barrel.
On the currency front, CAD/USD was essentially flat, changing by 0.01% to 0.71, while CAD/EUR was unchanged by 0.29% to 0.62. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.36% at 101.12.
Outlook snapshot
The session ended with a modest slide in the headline Canadian benchmark and a noticeable pickup in option-implied volatility. Commodities showed divergent moves with oil sharply higher and gold lower, while individual stock performance varied considerably across sectors.