Canadian equities closed higher on Monday as gains clustered in the information technology, financials and telecommunications sectors, pushing the S&P/TSX Composite up 0.54% to a one-month high at the Toronto close.
On an individual-stock basis, Lithium Americas Corp (TSX:LAC) was the session's top gainer on the S&P/TSX Composite, advancing 7.28% or 0.41 points to finish at 6.04. Constellation Software Inc. (TSX:CSU) rose 6.37% or 146.24 points to close at 2,441.42, while G Mining Ventures Corp (TSX:GMIN) added 5.80% or 3.02 points to end the day at 55.07.
At the other end of the tape, Gfl Environmental Inc (TSX:GFL) led declines, falling 10.01% or 5.97 points to 53.63 at the close. Saputo Inc (TSX:SAP) slipped 9.19% or 4.14 points to 40.92, and Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSX:MFI) was down 5.52% or 1.72 points to 29.46.
Breadth on the Toronto Stock Exchange favored advancers: 627 issues rose versus 339 that fell, while 75 stocks finished unchanged.
Gfl Environmental's share price moved to a 52-week low during the session, registering the 10.01% decline noted above, to 53.63.
Volatility on the index showed a notable uptick: the S&P/TSX 60 VIX, which tracks implied volatility for S&TSX Composite options, climbed 7.45% to reach 18.03.
Commodities traded with mixed outcomes. Gold futures for June delivery were down 0.51% or 24.35 to $4,763.05 a troy ounce. Crude oil for May delivery increased 1.43% or 1.38 to $97.95 a barrel, while the June Brent contract rose 3.08% or 2.93 to trade at $98.13 a barrel.
Foreign exchange moves were modest: CAD/USD was unchanged 0.39% to 0.73, while CAD/EUR was unchanged 0.07% to 0.62. The US Dollar Index Futures decreased 0.24% to 98.20.
The session's market-level indicators and individual security moves provide a snapshot of mixed momentum across Canadian equities. Sector leadership from IT, financials and telecoms coincided with sharp moves in select names and increased implied volatility, while commodity prices displayed divergent paths between gold and crude oil.