Stock Markets March 16, 2026

Toronto equities end higher as staples, discretionary and financials drive gains

S&P/TSX Composite advances 1.03% with mixed commodity and currency moves across markets

By Sofia Navarro NTR GSY
Toronto equities end higher as staples, discretionary and financials drive gains
NTR GSY

Canadian equities closed higher on Monday, led by gains in Consumer Staples, Consumer Discretionary and Financials, pushing the S&P/TSX Composite up 1.03%. Altus Group, Lundin Gold and NFI Group were the session's top performers, while Nutrien, goeasy and Denison Mines led declines. Market breadth favored advancers, volatility eased and commodities posted mostly lower prices.

Key Points

  • S&P/TSX Composite rose 1.03% at the close, led by Consumer Staples, Consumer Discretionary and Financials.
  • Altus Group (TSX:AIF), Lundin Gold (TSX:LUG) and NFI Group (TSX:NFI) were the session's largest winners; Nutrien (TSX:NTR), goeasy (TSX:GSY) and Denison Mines (TSX:DML) were the largest decliners.
  • Volatility fell - the S&P/TSX 60 VIX dropped 8.60% to 19.55 - while gold and oil prices moved lower.

Canadian stocks closed the trading day in Toronto with broad-based gains, driven by strength in Consumer Staples, Consumer Discretionary and Financials sectors. At the close, the S&P/TSX Composite had risen 1.03%.

Top and bottom movers

The session's best performers included Altus Group Limited (TSX:AIF), which climbed 9.26% or 4.03 points to finish at 47.53. Lundin Gold Inc (TSX:LUG) added 5.48% or 5.71 points to close at 109.95, and NFI Group Inc (TSX:NFI) advanced 5.37% or 0.91 points to end the day at 17.85.

On the downside, Nutrien Ltd (TSX:NTR) registered the largest decline, falling 6.47% or 7.36 points to trade at 106.43 at the close. goeasy Ltd (TSX:GSY) declined 5.38% or 1.92 points to finish at 33.80, and Denison Mines Corp (TSX:DML) was down 4.00% or 0.21 points to 5.04.

Market breadth in Toronto favored advancing issues: rising stocks outnumbered decliners by 609 to 322, while 85 issues finished unchanged.

Notable equity note

Shares of goeasy Ltd (TSX:GSY) moved to 5-year lows during the session, closing down 5.38% or 1.92 at 33.80.

Volatility and commodities

Implied volatility as measured by the S&P/TSX 60 VIX fell 8.60% to 19.55.

In commodities, Gold Futures for April delivery slipped 0.83% or 41.79 to $5,019.91 a troy ounce. Energy prices were lower: Crude oil for May delivery fell 4.12% or 3.99 to $92.85 a barrel, and the May Brent oil contract dropped 2.62% or 2.70 to trade at $100.44 a barrel.

Currencies and broader indicators

The Canadian dollar's quoted moves were limited in the session. CAD/USD was unchanged 0.26% to 0.73, while CAD/EUR unchanged 0.51% to 0.64. The US Dollar Index Futures eased 0.54% to 99.57.

Promotional summary included in the session bulletin

The market bulletin also carried a promotional segment describing AI-driven stock-picking products. It noted that Year to date, 2 out of 3 global portfolios are beating their benchmark indexes, with 88% in the green. The communication cited a flagship Tech Titans strategy that it said doubled the S&P 500 within 18 months and referenced winners including Super Micro Computer (+185%) and AppLovin (+157%). The segment posed the question of which stock might be the next to rise and invited readers to consider AI-assisted portfolios.


Bottom line

Monday's trading finished with the S&P/TSX Composite up 1.03%, led by sector gains in staples, discretionary and financials, with pronounced moves at the individual stock level and easing in option-implied volatility.

Risks

  • Commodity price declines - crude oil and gold fell during the session, which can affect energy and materials sector profitability.
  • Notable stock-specific downside - goeasy reached 5-year lows and other large decliners could signal company-specific or sector pressures in financials and materials.

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