Toronto markets finished Friday with broad gains, pushing the S&P/TSX Composite 0.86% higher to register a new one-month high at the close. Strength in the consumer discretionary, materials and information technology sectors powered the advance, while energy stocks weighed on the index.
Among individual performers, Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd (TSX:ASM) topped the session's winners, climbing 7.93% or 0.78 points to close at 10.62. NovaGold Resources Inc (TSX:NG) followed with a 7.85% rise, adding 1.09 points to finish at 14.97. Perpetua Resources Corp (TSX:PPTA) also featured among the top gainers, up 7.21% or 3.13 points to 46.53 in late trading.
By contrast, the energy sector recorded some of the largest declines. Vermilion Energy Inc. (TSX:VET) led the laggards, tumbling 7.96% or 1.36 points to end at 15.72. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (TSX:CNQ) fell 7.34% or 4.66 points to 58.81, and Methanex Corporation (TSX:MX) dropped 7.13% or 5.70 points to close at 74.24.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the Toronto Stock Exchange by 687 to 299, with 64 issues unchanged at the close.
Market volatility, as measured by the S&P/TSX 60 VIX, moved lower, falling 4.68% to 16.30, a new one-month low for the index that tracks implied volatility on S&P/TSX Composite options.
Commodity prices exhibited notable dispersion. Gold Futures for June delivery rose 1.21% or 58.19 to $4,866.49 a troy ounce. Energy benchmarks moved sharply lower: Crude oil for May delivery slid 10.18% or 9.64 to $85.05 a barrel, while the June Brent contract decreased 8.55% or 8.50 to trade at $90.89 a barrel.
Currency markets were essentially flat in the session. The Canadian dollar was largely unchanged versus major peers, with CAD/USD showing a 0.11% move to 0.73 and CAD/EUR unchanged at 0.62 with a 0.28% move noted in the session. The US Dollar Index Futures registered a modest uptick of 0.01% to 98.03.
The day's action left the exchange with a clear split between sector performance: materials and consumer-facing names produced outsized gains, while energy-related stocks posted steep declines alongside a pronounced drop in crude benchmarks. The VIX decline to a one-month low reflected lower option-implied volatility as the session closed.