Canada's main equity gauge finished the trading day in negative territory on Thursday, as weakness in Industrials, Healthcare and Information Technology sectors pushed the market lower.
At the close in Toronto the S&P/TSX Composite fell 0.84%.
Among individual stocks, Methanex Corporation (TSX:MX) was the session's strongest performer, rising 8.90% or 6.46 points to finish at 79.06. NFI Group Inc (TSX:NFI) advanced 6.61% or 1.05 points to close at 16.94, and Nutrien Ltd (TSX:NTR) gained 6.23% or 6.71 points to end the day at 114.41.
On the downside, goeasy Ltd (TSX:GSY) led decliners, slipping 13.89% or 5.65 points to close at 35.02. MDA Ltd (TSX:MDA) lost 7.15% or 3.25 points to finish at 42.19, while TFI International Inc (TSX:TFII) fell 6.93% or 10.45 points to 140.34.
Market breadth was negative: falling issues outnumbered advancers on the Toronto Stock Exchange by 678 to 252, while 79 issues finished unchanged.
Notable price milestones were recorded during the session. Methanex Corporation rose to 5-year highs, closing up 8.90% or 6.46 to 79.06. goeasy Ltd moved to 5-year lows after its 13.89% decline, closing at 35.02. Nutrien Ltd reached 3-year highs, gaining 6.23% or 6.71 to 114.41.
Volatility in TSX options increased: the S&P/TSX 60 VIX, which measures implied volatility of S&P/TSX Composite options, rose 4.37% to 20.31, a new 6-month high.
Commodities markets showed sharp moves. Gold Futures for April delivery was reported down 2.01% or 104.04 to $5,075.06 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery climbed 10.42% or 9.09 to $96.34 a barrel, and the May Brent oil contract rose 10.19% or 9.37 to trade at $101.35 a barrel.
In currency trading, the Canadian dollar was little changed according to the session's data: CAD/USD was unchanged 0.34% to 0.73, while CAD/EUR unchanged 0.14% to 0.64. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.53% to 99.75.
Summary of session dynamics:
- Index performance: S&P/TSX Composite down 0.84% at the close.
- Top gainers: MX, NFI, NTR.
- Top losers: GSY, MDA, TFII.
- Volatility: S&P/TSX 60 VIX up to 20.31, a 6-month high.
The trading day reflected a split market where certain commodity and materials names pushed higher while industrials, healthcare and technology-related listings exerted downward pressure on the broader index.