Stock Markets February 19, 2026 04:30 PM

Toronto Stocks Close Higher; S&P/TSX Composite Reaches New Record

Energy, materials and industrials drive gains as SSR Mining hits a five-year peak and commodity prices climb

By Jordan Park

Canadian equities finished higher on Thursday, with broad gains led by Energy, Materials and Industrials. The S&P/TSX Composite rose 0.61% to a fresh all-time high while select precious metals and energy producers posted the day’s largest moves. Market volatility as measured by the S&P/TSX 60 VIX increased, and trading breadth favored advancers over decliners.

Toronto Stocks Close Higher; S&P/TSX Composite Reaches New Record

Key Points

  • S&P/TSX Composite rose 0.61% to close at a new all-time high, driven by Energy, Materials and Industrials.
  • Major daily winners included TSX:TXG (+10.57%), TSX:AG (+9.62%) and TSX:SSRM (+9.33%); largest decliners included TSX:BHC (-4.70%), TSX:BTO (-4.63%) and TSX:TKO (-4.45%).
  • Commodity prices climbed: April gold futures, April crude oil and April Brent all posted gains; currency moves were minimal.

Toronto markets closed higher Thursday, led by strength in the Energy, Materials and Industrials sectors. The S&P/TSX Composite added 0.61% by the end of trading, closing at a new all-time high.

Top and bottom movers

The session’s strongest performers included Torex Gold Resources Inc (TSX:TXG), which jumped 10.57% - a gain of 6.21 points - to finish at 64.96. First Majestic Silver Corp. (TSX:AG) rose 9.62%, or 2.98 points, closing at 33.96. SSR Mining Inc (TSX:SSRM) advanced 9.33% - up 3.40 points - to 39.85 in late trade.

On the downside, Bausch Health Companies Inc (TSX:BHC) lost 4.70%, or 0.40 points, ending at 8.11. B2Gold Corp (TSX:BTO) declined 4.63%, or 0.34 points, to close at 7.00 while Taseko Mines Ltd (TSX:TKO) slipped 4.45%, or 0.49 points, to 10.52.

Market breadth and volatility

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the Toronto Stock Exchange by 557 to 402, while 67 issues finished unchanged. Shares of SSR Mining Inc (TSX:SSRM) reached five-year highs, climbing 9.33% or 3.40 to 39.85.

Volatility as measured by the S&P/TSX 60 VIX rose 6.39% to 17.32, indicating an increase in implied option volatility on the index.

Commodities and currencies

Commodities moved higher during the session. Gold futures for April delivery were up 0.06%, or 3.19, to $5,012.69 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery climbed 2.09%, or 1.36, to $66.41 a barrel, while the April Brent contract gained 1.82%, or 1.28, to trade at $71.63 a barrel.

In currency markets, CAD/USD was unchanged 0.03% to 0.73, while CAD/EUR was unchanged 0.11% to 0.62. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.16% at 97.78.


This intraday snapshot highlights the sectors and individual stocks that contributed to the S&P/TSX Composite’s advance and notes concurrent moves in commodity and currency markets.

Risks

  • Rising implied volatility as shown by a 6.39% increase in the S&P/TSX 60 VIX could signal greater market uncertainty - this affects all sectors but particularly equities and options markets.
  • Concentration of large daily moves among mining and energy names introduces sector-specific risk for Materials and Energy investors.
  • A non-uniform market breadth, with 402 decliners versus 557 advancers, suggests that gains were not universally distributed across the exchange - implications for portfolio diversification.

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