Canada's main equity benchmark closed higher on Wednesday, pushed by gains in the Financials, IT and Healthcare sectors as the S&P/TSX Composite rose 0.46% to record a fresh all-time high.
At the close in Toronto, Thomson Reuters Corp (TSX:TRI) was the session's top performer on the index, finishing up 10.10% or 12.47 points to trade at 135.92. Exchange Income Corporation (TSX:EIF) also recorded strong gains, adding 6.77% or 6.86 points to close at 108.13. National Bank of Canada (TSX:NA) advanced 6.63% or 11.77 points to 189.23 by the end of trading.
Not all components moved higher. Loblaw Companies Limited (TSX:L) paced the decliners, sliding 5.51% or 3.72 points to a close of 63.80. Element Fleet Management Corp (TSX:EFN) fell 3.95% or 1.36 points to 33.10, and Parex Resources Inc (TSX:PXT) lost 3.82% or 0.85 points to finish at 21.38.
Market breadth favored advancing issues on the Toronto Stock Exchange, where 552 stocks rose against 403 that declined, and 77 ended unchanged.
Both Exchange Income Corporation (TSX:EIF) and National Bank of Canada (TSX:NA) reached all-time highs in Wednesday trading, with EIF up 6.77% to 108.13 and NA up 6.63% to 189.23.
Volatility, as measured by the S&P/TSX 60 VIX which tracks implied volatility of S&P/TSX Composite options, declined 6.33% to 15.40.
Commodity moves were mixed. Gold futures for April delivery rose 0.20% or 10.60 to $5,186.90 a troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for April delivery slipped 0.20% or 0.13 to $65.50 a barrel, while the May Brent contract inched higher by 0.31% or 0.22 to trade at $70.80 a barrel.
Currency pairs were largely unchanged in the session. CAD/USD showed a movement of unchanged 0.14% to 0.73, while CAD/EUR was unchanged 0.15% to 0.62. The US Dollar Index futures eased 0.13% to 97.65.
Key market data from the close provide a snapshot of the session: a headline gain on the S&P/TSX Composite into record territory, strong single-day percentage increases for several financial and IT-related names, mixed results across commodities and a moderation in implied option-market volatility.