Stock Markets February 24, 2026

Toronto stocks close higher as S&P/TSX Composite hits record; materials and clean tech lead gains

Market breadth favored advancers as select miners and clean-technology names posted strong moves; energy and packaging names lagged

By Ajmal Hussain TRI LAC
Toronto stocks close higher as S&P/TSX Composite hits record; materials and clean tech lead gains
TRI LAC

The S&P/TSX Composite finished the Toronto trading day higher, climbing 0.57% to a fresh record close. Strength in Materials, Clean Technology and Industrials underpinned the advance, while select energy and consumer packaging names weighed on the index. Market breadth favored rising stocks, and moves in commodities and currency pairs were mixed.

Key Points

  • S&P/TSX Composite rose 0.57% to close at a new record high, led by Materials, Clean Technology and Industrials.
  • Top individual winners included Thomson Reuters (TSX:TRI), Curaleaf (TSX:CURA) and Lithium Americas (TSX:LAC); largest decliners included Winpak (TSX:WPK), Sienna Senior Living (TSX:SIA) and Imperial Oil (TSX:IMO).
  • Market breadth favored advancing stocks (581 up, 367 down, 90 unchanged); S&P/TSX 60 VIX fell to 16.44, and key commodities and currencies showed mixed moves.

Canada's equity benchmark closed higher on Tuesday, with the S&P/TSX Composite gaining 0.57% to register a new all-time high at the close in Toronto. The session was powered by advances in the Materials, Clean Technology and Industrials sectors, which collectively pushed the headline index upward.

Top performers

  • Thomson Reuters Corp (TSX:TRI) led gains, jumping 11.38% - a rise of 12.61 points - to finish at 123.45.
  • Curaleaf Holdings Inc (TSX:CURA) added 10.82%, or 0.33 points, closing at 3.38.
  • Lithium Americas Corp (TSX:LAC) rose 9.90%, gaining 0.62 points to trade at 6.88.

Largest decliners

  • Winpak Ltd. (TSX:WPK) was the weakest name on the board, falling 5.27% - down 2.65 points - to 47.62 at the close.
  • Sienna Senior Living Inc (TSX:SIA) slipped 3.39%, a decline of 0.81 points, to end at 23.08.
  • Imperial Oil Ltd (TSX:IMO) declined 2.63%, or 4.27 points, finishing at 158.23.

Market breadth on the Toronto Stock Exchange favored advancing issues, with 581 stocks rising versus 367 declining; 90 securities finished unchanged.

The S&P/TSX 60 VIX, which measures implied volatility for options on the S&P/TSX Composite, moved lower by 2.72% to 16.44, signaling a decrease in option-implied volatility for this index during the session.

Commodities and currencies

In commodities trading, April gold futures were down 0.99% - a move of 51.71 - to $5,173.89 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery slipped 0.08%, or 0.05, to $66.26 a barrel, while the May Brent contract inched higher by 0.15% - up 0.11 - to trade at $71.22 a barrel.

On currency markets, the Canadian dollar was little changed versus major peers. CAD/USD was essentially unchanged, moving 0.04% to 0.73, while CAD/EUR was unchanged by 0.07% to 0.62. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.17% to 97.81.

Overall, the session combined strong sector-led gains with mixed commodity and currency moves, leaving the S&P/TSX Composite at a fresh closing high.

Risks

  • Movements in commodity prices - including gold and crude oil - introduce near-term uncertainty for materials and energy-linked equities, which can affect sector performance.
  • Declines in select large-cap names such as Imperial Oil and Winpak highlight company-specific downside risk that can weigh on sector returns, particularly in energy and packaging.
  • Though implied volatility softened as reflected in the S&P/TSX 60 VIX, shifts in market sentiment could reverse that trend and increase trading risk for option holders and leveraged positions.

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