Canadian stocks ended the trading day higher on Friday, led by gains in the Materials, Energy and Clean Technology sectors. The S&P/TSX Composite closed up 0.23% in Toronto.
The session's largest winners included Methanex Corporation (TSX:MX), which climbed 9.96% or 8.20 points to finish at 90.57. Strathcona Resources Ltd (TSX:SCR) advanced 8.85% or 3.43 points to close at 42.17, and I-80 Gold Corp (TSX:IAU) rose 8.15% or 0.15 points to 1.99 by the market close.
On the downside, Curaleaf Holdings Inc (TSX:CURA) fell 7.05% or 0.21 points to end at 2.77. MDA Ltd (TSX:MDA) slipped 6.58% or 2.43 points to 34.52, while ATS Corporation (TSX:ATS) declined 5.05% or 2.07 points to 38.91.
Although the headline index finished in positive territory, decliners outnumbered advancers on the Toronto Stock Exchange, with 505 stocks down versus 441 that rose. Eighty-eight issues were unchanged at the close, signaling mixed internals beneath the index-level advance.
Two notable price milestones occurred during the session. Shares of Methanex reached five-year highs, settling at 90.57 after the near 10% gain. Strathcona Resources traded up to three-year highs at 42.17 following its rally.
Volatility indicators and commodity markets also registered notable moves. The S&P/TSX 60 VIX, which measures implied volatility for S&P/TSX Composite options, rose 3.95% to 22.11, marking a new six-month high. In commodities trading, Gold Futures for June delivery advanced 2.86% or 126.30 to $4,535.30 a troy ounce.
Energy prices climbed as well, with crude oil for May delivery gaining 6.37% or 6.02 to reach $100.50 a barrel, and the June Brent contract increasing 4.09% or 4.17 to trade at $106.06 a barrel.
Currency markets were relatively steady. The Canadian dollar was essentially unchanged versus the US dollar, with CAD/USD moving 0.24% to 0.72, and CAD/EUR unchanged 0.11% to 0.63. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.28% at 99.99.
Summary: The S&P/TSX Composite closed higher by 0.23%, driven by Materials, Energy and Clean Technology sector strength. Methanex, Strathcona Resources and I-80 Gold were the session's top gainers, while Curaleaf, MDA and ATS Corporation were the largest decliners. Market breadth favored decliners, the S&P/TSX 60 VIX reached a six-month high, and commodities such as gold and oil posted notable gains.