Canada most active stocks and ETFs: one market, several exchanges, many trading venues
A free live screener ranks Canadian stocks and ETFs by the number of shares traded. Here is how Canada's exchanges and venues fit together, how to read the ranking and which tax reports can follow.
Prepared by Prem Tax and Accounting Corp. Last checked against official sources on October 23, 2026.
The Canada most active stocks and ETFs list ranks Canadian-listed securities by trading volume, which is the number of shares that changed hands. Canada has one feature that surprises newcomers: a security lists on one exchange but trades on several venues at once, so its trades can be spread across more than one place. Whether a screener adds them up is worth checking in its help text.
- Canadian securities can be listed on TSX, TSX Venture, the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) or Cboe Canada, and traded on several marketplaces.
- CIRO oversees trading on all of them. The list mixes stocks with exchange-traded funds.
- The free screener can lag, so confirm any price with your dealer.
- A ranking of volume describes activity. It is not a recommendation.
What this list shows
The screener below uses its “volume leaders” view for Canada. It sorts by shares traded in the latest session. As anywhere, shares are a poor measure of how much money moved, because a low-priced security needs many more shares to trade the same amount than a high-priced one. A security that tops the list on share count may rank much lower on dollars traded.
The live list loads when you scroll to this spot.
It is a free screener from TradingView, shown inside this page.
Market list by TradingView; US data is usually end-of-day, other markets may be delayed. Open the full screener.
Canada's exchanges and venues in plain terms
| Name | What CIRO says it is |
|---|---|
| Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) | Exchanges run by TMX Group. Securities listed on them trade on TSX and also on several other marketplaces. |
| Cboe Canada | An exchange that provides listing services and trading for securities listed on Cboe Canada, the CSE, TSX and TSXV. |
| Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) | An exchange that provides listing services and trading for securities listed on the CSE, TSX, TSXV and Cboe Canada. |
| Nasdaq Canada, Omega, Lynx and others | Trading venues, some of them alternative trading systems, where the same listed securities can trade. |
Each marketplace must be a member of CIRO and follow the Universal Market Integrity Rules. Each has retained CIRO to administer and enforce those rules and to impose trading halts or delays that relate to market integrity, coordinating them with the other marketplaces.
How to read the ranking
- Volume is shares traded. Check whether it is shown for one venue or all of them.
- Funds and stocks are mixed. The OSC explains that an ETF holds a collection of investments, trades throughout the day at the current market price, and has a ticker symbol like a stock. Open the security's page to see whether it is a fund.
- Premium or discount. An ETF's price can differ from its net asset value during the day, though by the end of the day it should be close.
- Currency. Look at the currency beside the price before comparing a Canadian name with a U.S. one.
Trading in Canada in brief
- 7:00 to 9:30 a.m. ETPre-open on TSX and TSX Venture. Orders can be entered but are not executed.
- 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ETContinuous trading with all regular order types. A market-on-close facility runs from 3:50 p.m.
- 4:15 to 5:00 p.m. ETExtended session. Orders at the last sale price are accepted, and trades may only occur at the last sale price.
- SettlementCanada moved to T+1 settlement on May 27, 2024, one day before the United States.
CIPF gives limited protection for property held at a member firm if the firm becomes insolvent. For an individual it is generally $1 million for all general accounts combined (cash, margin, TFSA and FHSA accounts), a separate $1 million for registered retirement accounts such as RRSPs, RRIFs and LIFs, and a separate $1 million for RESPs where the client is the subscriber. It protects against an insolvent firm, not against a falling market.
Tax notes for investors
The account types in the CIPF list are a hint at how many different tax boxes a Canadian household can have: cash and margin accounts, TFSAs, FHSAs, RRSPs and RESPs. Canada decides how each is taxed. The United States decides separately, and it does not always give the same answer. A U.S. citizen or resident with a Canadian brokerage account may have FBAR and Form 8938 reporting, and a Canadian-listed fund can be a passive foreign investment company for U.S. purposes, which is reported on Form 8621. Our page on international families covers how we sort this out.
The reverse also happens. A Canadian resident who holds shares of U.S. companies has to look at Form T1135. The CRA's list of specified foreign property includes a share of the capital stock of a non-resident corporation, and the form applies when the cost of such property exceeded $100,000 at any time in the year. It is due with the tax return, and the tax calendar shows the U.S. dates alongside. The IRS keeps a page of Canada tax treaty documents for questions on withholding and treaty relief.
Common questions
Why can one security trade on several venues?
CIRO's description of the market is that securities listed on TSX, TSX Venture, the CSE and Cboe Canada also trade on other marketplaces, including Nasdaq Canada and alternative trading systems. All of them must be CIRO members and follow the Universal Market Integrity Rules, so the same trading rules apply wherever the trade happens.
Is a Canadian ETF the same as a U.S. ETF?
Both are funds that trade on an exchange like a stock, and the OSC notes that an ETF's market price can drift to a premium or discount to its net asset value during the day. For U.S. tax purposes, though, a Canadian-listed fund can be treated very differently from a U.S. one, which is why a U.S. person should ask before buying one.
Does CIPF protect me if my investments lose value?
No. CIPF says it provides limited protection for property held by a member firm if the firm becomes insolvent. It does not protect against any other type of risk or loss, including a fall in the market price of what you hold.
Is it wise to trade after 4:00 p.m.?
CIRO describes extended-hours trading as carrying greater risks than trading during regular hours: fewer buyers and sellers, wider bid-ask spreads and bigger price swings. Not every dealer offers it. If you use it, CIRO suggests limit orders to control the price.
Official sources
- CIRO: Equity markets we regulate
- TSX and TSX Venture: trading hours
- CIRO: Rule amendments for the move to T+1 settlement (bulletin 23-0150)
- CIPF: About CIPF coverage
- OSC GetSmarterAboutMoney: How exchange-traded funds (ETFs) work
- CRA: Foreign income verification statement (Form T1135)
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