Canadian stocks finished the trading day lower on Monday, with losses in the information technology, industrials and financials sectors contributing to the downward pressure on the S&P/TSX Composite.
At the Toronto close, the S&P/TSX Composite fell 0.12%.
Notable gainers
- Fortuna Mining Corp (TSX:FVI) led the session's advancers, rising 9.00% or 1.51 points to finish at 18.28.
- Lundin Gold Inc (TSX:LUG) added 7.25% or 7.84 points to end at 116.00.
- B2Gold Corp (TSX:BTO) climbed 6.51% or 0.48 points to 7.85 in late trade.
Top decliners
- goeasy Ltd (TSX:GSY) was the weakest large-cap, down 7.75% or 9.11 points to 108.39 at the close.
- Shopify Inc (TSX:SHOP) declined 7.07% or 12.22 points to finish at 160.67.
- Descartes Systems Group Inc (TSX:DSG) fell 6.28% or 5.76 points to 86.02.
Market internals and extremes
On the Toronto Stock Exchange, decliners outnumbered advancers 487 to 457, while 101 issues finished unchanged. Fortuna Mining's share price rose to an all-time high, gaining 9.00% or 1.51 to 18.28. goeasy's shares dropped to 52-week lows, falling 7.75% or 9.11 to 108.39. Descartes' stock moved down to three-year lows, losing 6.28% or 5.76 to 86.02.
Volatility, commodities and currencies
The S&P/TSX 60 VIX, which reflects implied volatility for S&P/TSX Composite options, rose 3.36% to 16.90.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery advanced 3.27% or 166.34 to $5,247.24 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery slipped 0.15% or 0.10 to $66.38 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 0.15% or 0.11 to $71.19 a barrel.
On the currency front, CAD/USD was unchanged 0.15% to 0.73, while CAD/EUR was unchanged 0.20% to 0.62. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.08% at 97.66.
Implications and context
Monday's session was defined by a divergence between stronger commodity-linked miners and weaker technology and services stocks. While several mining names produced notable gains, significant declines in a handful of large-cap information technology and services companies weighed on the headline index. Volatility, as measured by the S&P/TSX 60 VIX, moved higher, indicating an uptick in option-implied uncertainty.
Further trading days will determine whether the recent moves consolidate or reverse, as market participants digest sectoral shifts and price action across equities, commodities and currencies.