04:13 PM EDT, 03/19/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The Toronto Stock Exchange slumped again Thursday, taking total losses for the last two days to more than 1,000 points, amid more broad-based selling as growing concern around how long the Middle East war will last overshadows everything.

The resources heavy S&P/TSX Composite Index closed down 457.69 points, or 1.4%, to 31,854.98, adding to the 616 points lost yesterday. This is the second straight day that Canada has underperformed the United States, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq down near 0.3% today.

For a second successive day, the Energy sector was the biggest gainer, up 2.6%, even as West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed lower amid volatile trading with no end to the war on Iran in sight as Iran retaliated to an Israeli attack on infrastructure at its South Pars natural-gas field by striking at energy assets in neighboring countries. WTI crude oil for April delivery closed down US$0.18 to settle at US$96.14 per barrel in a session that saw prices range between US$95.27 and US$101.48. May Brent oil was last seen US$0.81 to US$108.19 keeping the gap wide between the two benchmarks.

Info Tech sector was the only other sector to rise, up 0.2%.

Base Metals was down 4% as gold prices plunged, dropping 5.9% to a lowest in more than two months on profit-taking and the fading hopes for lower U.S. interest rates. Gold for April delivery was down $288.30 to US$4,607.900 per ounce, the lowest since Jan. 16, but up from session lows of US$4,505.00.

The Battery Metals Index was the biggest loser, down more than 6%.