04:18 PM EDT, 06/15/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The Toronto Stock Exchange posted a fresh record close Monday, its third-straight gain, even with mixed commodity prices, as investors continue to see strong market fundamentals and resilience in the economy.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed was up 337.79 points, or 1%, to 35,275.64, beating the prior record close of 35217.06 hit on June 4. According to FactSet the TSX going in to today was month-to-date up 0.49% and year-to-date up 3,225.09 points or 10.17%.

Not only were commodity prices mixed, but sectors were too. The Battery Metals Index was the biggest mover and gainer in rising 4.7%, followed by Base Metals up 2%.

Energy was the biggest loser, down 2.7% as West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed sharply lower Monday after the United States and Iran reached a truce in the war that has blocked off the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for a fifth of the daily oil demand supplied by Persian Gulf nations. WTI crude oil for July delivery closed down US$4.13 to settle at US$80.75 per barrel, the lowest since March 4, while August Brent oil was down US$4.12 to US$83.21.

According to Thierry Wizman, Global FX & Rates Strategist at Macquarie Group, traders are cheering the news of an agreed-to US-Iran MoU, and that its key condition is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz from both sides. On the Iran side because of threats to shipping and on the U.S. side related to a naval blockade. "For markets, the Strait is the only thing that matters, because its blockage was most pernicious for the global economy. The importance of its re-opening swamps that of other things, such as what central banks will do or say now that they need to consider the MoU itself in their deliberations," Wizman said.

But in the spirit of temperance, some caveats are in order, Wizman added. "The MoU is not a permanent peace deal; its details have not yet emerged; it has yet to be signed; there may be domestic opposition to abiding by its terms in the U.S., especially if the U.S. is seen to have made unnecessary concessions; Israel may not be a party to any deal, especially if Iran is able to re-arm its 'axis of resistance'."

Still, as reflected in gains for Base Metals, gold was higher by midafternoon Monday, climbing for a second day as the U.S. dollar and yields fell after Iran and the United States agreed to a truce in their war, pushing oil prices lower and easing inflation fears that have pushed investors away from the precious metal. Gold for July delivery was up US$114.30 to US$4,353.10 per ounce.

On economics, RBC Economics may have captured investor sentiment in a note entitled 'The economy is bruised, not broken' in which the bank said Canada's economy has proven resilient through early 2026, "bending, not collapsing despite significant headwinds".

According to RBC, a second consecutive gross domestic product decline in Q1 sparked recession concerns, but it added the underlying data tells a more encouraging story: Per-capita growth shows Canada is in an early-stage recovery rather than a contraction.

RBC said: "To be clear, the economy is not strong yet. Unemployment is still too high. Population declines will continue to limit the underlying growth rate that can be generated. Sectors directly targeted by U.S. tariffs continue to underperform, and high fuel costs are cutting into household purchasing power.

"But, headline growth numbers mask an important shift: Slowing population growth is depressing aggregate GDP while measures that reflect how households experience the economy show signs of improvement."

On a per-person basis, the economy is still growing, RBC said, while noting the unemployment rate also edged lower; to 6.6% in May from 6.8% at end of 2025, "a seemingly contradictory outcome that makes sense only when accounting for the contraction in the available workforce".

"We remain cautiously optimistic that enough support remains in place to sustain gradual improvement in those per-person and per-worker economic indicators this year with further tailwinds building into 2027," RBC added.