A new 52-week high on a Canadian exchange means a stock or ETF has traded above every price from the past year. This page shows the current list, explains why a high in Canadian dollars is not always a high for a U.S. buyer, describes how Canada halts fast-moving stocks, and sets out the tax rules on both sides of the border.
What this list shows
The screener lists securities listed in Canada that are at or above their highest price of the past 52 weeks. Canadian data in this widget is often delayed, so use it as a picture of recent history. Providers differ on whether they judge a high by the intraday peak or the close. The filter is mechanical and is not a recommendation.
Market list widget by TradingView. U.S. data is usually end-of-day; Canadian and Indian data may be delayed. Lists include stocks and ETFs and are mechanical filters, not recommendations.
How to read it
Start with the currency. A company that earns most of its revenue in U.S. dollars but trades in Canadian dollars can reach a high in Canadian dollars partly because the Canadian dollar weakened. The reverse also happens. If you are a U.S. buyer, compare the move in your own currency; our forex rates page has the daily reference rates and a converter.
Then look at the shape of the list. A long list across many industries suggests a market-wide move. A short list concentrated in one group suggests news or prices specific to that industry. For funds, remember that an ETF reaches a high when its holdings do, so a fund and its largest holdings can appear together.
Volume tells you how crowded the move is. Compare it with the Canadian unusual volume list.
What it does not tell you
A high does not say whether a price is fair. It does not say whether the move came from earnings, a takeover rumor, a commodity price or a technical factor. And it says nothing about what happens next. This site does not predict prices.
How Canada slows a sharp move
Canada's self-regulatory organization, CIRO, runs a single-stock circuit breaker program that applies to a defined set of securities: constituents of the S&P/TSX Composite Index, certain ETFs made up of listed securities, Canadian Depositary Receipts holding only foreign securities, and securities CIRO classes as actively traded. CIRO's guidance gives the main rules:
- Trigger. A halt occurs if a covered security rises or falls by at least 10% and 20 trading increments within five minutes between 9:50 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Eastern. In the first 20 minutes after the open, and for 30 minutes after trading resumes from a halt, the trigger is 20% and 40 increments.
- Length. The halt is five minutes, and it may be extended by another five.
- Leveraged ETFs. Triggers are scaled up by the fund's leverage ratio.
- Bad trades. A trade executed more than 5% beyond the trigger level is cancelled.
An "actively traded" security, in CIRO's definition, averages at least 500 trades and $1,200,000 in value per day over the previous three months. Securities outside the program can still be halted by CIRO under its general authority.
Tax notes for investors
This is general information, not advice.
- Canadian residents. The Canada Revenue Agency's guide treats the inclusion rate for capital gains as one-half, meaning half of a gain is taxable. A proposed increase to two-thirds was deferred and, according to the CRA, later cancelled. You report gains on Schedule 3. CRA's guide says to convert foreign-currency amounts using the exchange rate at the time of each amount, so a U.S.-dollar sale uses the rate at sale for proceeds and the rate at purchase for cost.
- U.S. residents and citizens. The IRS taxes your worldwide gains under U.S. rules, in dollars, with the holding period deciding the rate. See our capital gains guide. A currency move can make a gain larger or smaller in dollars than the Canadian-dollar figure suggests.
- Dividends from Canadian companies. The CRA says non-residents pay 25% Part XIII tax on certain amounts, including dividends, and that a treaty can reduce the rate. Forms NR301, NR302 and NR303 are the usual way to show residence and treaty eligibility. U.S. persons may then claim the withholding as a foreign tax credit; the IRS explains that only certain foreign taxes qualify. Our page on the foreign tax credit for Indian income shows how the mechanics work.
- Reporting. A U.S. person with a Canadian brokerage account may need an FBAR filing. Our international tax services page describes how we handle cross-border returns.
Investors with large positions can also read about the net investment income tax and our page for investors.
Frequently asked questions
Does a new high in Canada mean the stock is overvalued?
No. A high shows price history. Valuation is a separate judgment that this page does not make.
Why is half of a Canadian capital gain taxed?
Canada's rules include only a portion of a gain in income, called the inclusion rate. CRA's guide gives one-half for 2024, and the CRA later said the proposed increase was cancelled.
Do Canadian withholding taxes get refunded in the U.S.?
Not automatically. U.S. persons may be able to claim a credit for qualifying foreign tax on their U.S. return. Treaty rules and your total picture decide the result.
Can a Canadian circuit breaker stop my order?
If a covered security triggers a halt, trading in it stops for five minutes and may be extended. Your broker can tell you how open orders are handled.
Official sources
- CIRO: Guidance on single-stock circuit breakers
- CRA: Capital gains guide T4037
- CRA: What is new for corporations
- CRA: NR4 non-resident tax withholding, remitting and reporting
- IRS: Foreign tax credit
This page is a plain-language summary. The official source controls if there is any difference.
General information only, not tax, legal or accounting advice for your situation. Rules, limits and deadlines change; confirm the current rules with the official source or a qualified professional before you act. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship with CPA Tax Payroll and Accounting Corp.