The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 0.2% to close at 33,182 on Monday, as investors cautiously assessed the prospects of a Pakistan-brokered peace proposal for the Middle East. Financial heavyweights led the gains, with RBC and TD Bank each advancing 0.7%, BMO adding 0.8%, and CIBC climbing 0.9%.
Energy producers were mixed: Canadian Natural Resources gained 1.6%, while Imperial Oil and Enbridge each declined 0.8%. Mining shares also traded unevenly, as Agnico Eagle Mines inched higher, but Barrick Gold slid 1.4% and Cameco fell 1.8%.
On the domestic front, S&P Global data showed that Canada’s Composite PMI came in at 47.6 in March, remaining in contraction territory for a fifth consecutive month, as the ongoing Middle East conflict continued to weigh on demand.
