Stock futures pointed to a higher opening for markets in Toronto on Friday after oil prices rebounded from 2017 lows.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index fought its way to within 9.71 points of breakeven to conclude Thursday at 15,160.42. June futures eked up 0.07% early Friday.
The Canadian dollar gained 0.18 cents to 75.61 cents U.S. early Friday.
TD Securities raised the target price on Home Capital Group to $18.00 from $15.00
RBC cuts the target price on Onex Corp. to $107.00 from $110.00
CIBC raises target price on Canadian National Railway to $111.00 from $105.00
On the economic slate, Statistics Canada reported foreigners bought $10.6 billion in Canadian securities, most of them government debt instruments, while Canadians reduced their holdings of foreign securities by $9.9 billion, the largest divestment since January 2016.
Elsewhere, data showed on Friday that lending to small Canadian businesses picked up in April, boosted by activity in consumer-related sectors and suggesting growth in the broader economy was gaining momentum.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange dropped 7.68 points Thursday to 771.62
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Friday as technology stocks attempted to come back from its latest pullback.
Ahead of the opening bell, futures for the Dow Jones Industrials stepped up 14 points, or 0.1%, to 21,334. Futures for the S&P 500 inched up 1.75 points, or 0.1%, to 2,433.75. NASDAQ futures tacked on 2.75 points, or 0.1%, to 5,712.
Shares of Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, Apple and Alphabet all traded slightly higher in the pre-market. Snap shares also climbed more than 1% before the bell, bouncing from its IPO price of $17.00.
On the data front, Friday will see the release of housing starts, Atlanta Fed Business inflation expectations, consumer sentiment and oil rig count.
There are no earnings releases due Friday.
European markets were appreciably higher as of noon on the continent, while, in Asia, the Nikkei 225 in Japan closed 0.6% higher, while Shanghai’s CSI 300 lost 0.3%
Oil prices improved 38 cents to $44.84 U.S. per barrel.
Gold prices added $2.10 to $1,256.70 U.S. an ounce.
