S&P/TSX Composite Falls 0.84% as Canada Stocks Close Lower

Canadian stocks closed lower on Wednesday, pressured by declines in industrial, energy and financial shares. The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite index on the Toronto Stock Exchange finished the session down 0.84%, reflecting broad weakness across several sectors.

Among the best-performing stocks of the session was Definity Financial Corp, which gained 4.81% to close at 76.94. OR Royalties Inc rose 4.54% to 53.18, while Aris Mining Corp advanced 4.50% to finish the session at 23.69.

On the downside, mining and resource-related companies led the losses. Capstone Mining Corp dropped 7.01% to 13.79, marking the sharpest decline among major components of the index. Brookfield Business Partners LP fell 6.57%, while Ero Copper Corp declined 5.17%. Overall market breadth was negative, with 570 stocks declining compared with 414 gainers on the Toronto Stock Exchange, while 72 issues ended unchanged.

Commodity markets also moved lower during the session. Gold futures for February delivery fell around 0.75% to about $4,462 per ounce. Oil prices weakened as well, with February WTI crude declining 1.45% to $56.30 per barrel, while Brent crude slipped 0.68%. The Canadian dollar showed limited movement against the U.S. dollar during the session.