Canadian stocks ended the trading day in negative territory on Wednesday as weakness in the information technology, consumer staples and telecommunications sectors pushed the benchmark lower.
At the Toronto close, the S&P/TSX Composite was down 0.45%.
Top and bottom movers
Among individual movers, Secure Energy Services Inc. (TSX:SES) posted the largest gain on the S&P/TSX Composite, rising 6.89% - an increase of 1.33 points to finish at 20.62. Parex Resources Inc. (TSX:PXT) climbed 6.34%, up 1.48 points to end the session at 24.82, and Methanex Corporation (TSX:MX) advanced 6.00%, adding 4.11 points to close at 72.60.
On the downside, goeasy Ltd (TSX:GSY) led decliners with an 18.20% drop - a fall of 9.05 points to 40.67 at the close. Constellation Software Inc. (TSX:CSU) declined 8.12%, down 238.70 points to finish at 2,700.08, and G Mining Ventures Corp (TSX:GMIN) lost 7.30%, slipping 4.24 points to 53.84.
Overall market breadth was tilted toward losers: 499 stocks fell versus 442 that rose, while 79 stocks were unchanged.
Notable equity milestones
- Shares of goeasy Ltd fell to five-year lows, with the stock losing 18.20% to close at 40.67.
- Parex Resources reached a 52-week high, trading up 6.34% to 24.82.
Volatility, commodities and currencies
The S&P/TSX 60 VIX, which measures implied volatility for options on the S&P/TSX Composite, rose 2.42% to 19.46.
In commodities, Gold Futures for April delivery fell 1.08% - down 56.55 to $5,185.55 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery gained 5.64%, up 4.71 to $88.16 a barrel, while the May Brent contract rose 5.56%, or 4.88, to trade at $92.68 a barrel.
On the currency front, CAD/USD was effectively unchanged, moving 0.10% to 0.74, while CAD/EUR was also little changed at 0.64, with a 0.24% move reported. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.42% to 99.23.
What this session shows
The trading day saw selective strength in certain energy and materials-related names, while technology, consumer staples and telecoms exerted downward pressure on the broader index. Volatility increased modestly, and commodity markets showed divergent moves with oil rising sharply while gold pulled back.
Investors navigated a market where decliners outnumbered advancers and several large-cap names posted double-digit percentage moves, underscoring uneven sector performance at the close in Toronto.