Stock Markets February 18, 2026

Toronto market closes higher as IT, Materials and Energy propel S&P/TSX Composite to record

Broad-based gains lift index to an all-time high; select large-cap names post strong moves while some financial and mining stocks retreat

By Derek Hwang SHOP CIGI IAG
Toronto market closes higher as IT, Materials and Energy propel S&P/TSX Composite to record
SHOP CIGI IAG

Canada's equity benchmark finished the session higher, with IT, Materials and Energy stocks providing the largest upward pressure and sending the S&P/TSX Composite to a fresh record close. Market breadth favoured advancers, volatility measures fell, and key commodity prices moved notably higher.

Key Points

  • S&P/TSX Composite closed up 1.50% to a new all-time high, led by IT, Materials and Energy sectors.
  • Top individual gainers included SHOP (+7.60%), CIGI (+6.06%) and BBDb (+5.89%); major decliners included IAG (-11.01%), CS (-5.43%) and TFII (-3.29%).
  • Market breadth favoured advancing issues (649 vs. 309), while the S&P/TSX 60 VIX fell 9.51% to 16.28; commodity prices for gold and crude oil moved higher.

Canada stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday as outperformance in the information technology, materials and energy sectors pushed the market upward.

At the close in Toronto, the S&P/TSX Composite rose 1.50% to hit a new all time high.


Top performers

The session's largest percentage gainer on the S&P/TSX Composite was Shopify Inc (TSX:SHOP), which advanced 7.60% or 11.77 points to finish at 166.57. Colliers International Group Inc Bats (TSX:CIGI) was also among the leaders, adding 6.06% or 9.12 points to close at 159.55. Bombardier Inc (TSX:BBDb) rose 5.89% or 14.97 points to 268.98 in late trade.


Biggest decliners

At the other end of the tape, iA Financial Corporation Inc (TSX:IAG) recorded the steepest decline, falling 11.01% or 18.72 points to trade at 151.34 at the close. Capstone Mining Corp (TSX:CS) declined 5.43% or 0.81 points to end at 14.10, while TFI International Inc (TSX:TFII) slipped 3.29% or 5.43 points to 159.47.


Market breadth and volatility

Rising stocks outnumbered decliners on the Toronto Stock Exchange by 649 to 309, with 76 issues unchanged. The S&P/TSX 60 VIX, a gauge of implied volatility for S&P/TSX Composite options, fell 9.51% to 16.28.


Commodities and currencies

In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery rose 1.96% or 95.94 to $5,001.84 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery gained 4.30% or 2.68 to reach $64.94 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract climbed 4.11% or 2.77 to trade at $70.19 a barrel.

On the foreign exchange front, CAD/USD was unchanged 0.44% to 0.73, while CAD/EUR was unchanged 0.14% to 0.62. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.58% at 97.62.


Looking ahead

Investors reacted to sector-specific momentum and commodity price moves, with technology, materials and energy stocks leading the advance. Questions about the best investment opportunities in 2026 are being raised as markets digest these shifts. The note about investment research and data highlights that institutional-grade data and AI-assisted insights can help investors by offering additional information and analysis tools. It adds that such services do not guarantee winners but aim to increase the probability of successful selections.

Risks

  • Elevated moves in individual large-cap names create single-stock concentration risk for portfolios, affecting sectors such as IT and financials.
  • Commodity price volatility - including notable increases in gold and crude oil prices - introduces uncertainty for energy and materials companies.
  • Exchange-rate and implied volatility shifts may affect exporters and importers, and can influence market sentiment across multiple sectors.

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