Stock futures pointed to a flat opening for Canada's main stock index on Thursday even as oil prices hit $80 a barrel on concerns that Iranian exports could drop due to re-imposed U.S. sanctions.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index eked out into the green 10.25 points to close Wednesday at 16,108.06
The Canadian dollar dipped 0.01 cents to 78.23 cents U.S. early Thursday
June futures were down 0.01% Thursday
Nutrien said on Thursday it would sell 62.5 million Class A shares in Chilean lithium producer Sociedad Quimica Y Minera (SQM) to Tianqi Lithium Corp for $4.07 billion.
Enbridge said on Thursday it would bring its independent units and liquids and gas pipeline assets under a single listed entity as part of a move to streamline its corporate structure.
Construction on TransCanada Corp's $4.8-billion Coastal GasLink pipeline will start in early 2019, pending a positive final investment decision on the linked LNG Canada project,
Desjardins raised the price target on Innergex Renewable Energy to $15.50 from $15.25.
Canaccord Genuity cut the rating on Just Energy Group to hold from buy.
On the economic front, Statistics Canada reported that foreign investment in Canadian securities totaled $6.1 billion in March, led by acquisitions of money market instruments.
At the same time, Canadian investors reduced their holdings of foreign securities by $1.9 billion, the first divestment in four months.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange nicked up 0.46 points Wednesday to 779.38
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock index futures futures pointed to slightly lower open Thursday, as investors monitor rising bond yields and new earnings.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 30 points, or 0.1%, to 24,710
S&P 500 futures slid 5.25 points, or 0.2%, to 2,717.75, while futures for the NASDAQ composite index backed off 26.75 points, or 0.4%, to 6,910.50
Dow-component Wal-Mart is due to release its latest figures before the opening bell. Applied Materials and Nordstrom are set to report earnings after the bell.
In terms of data, there will be jobless claims due at 8:30 a.m. ET.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.5%, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index subtracted 0.5%.
Oil prices hiked 65 cents to $72.14 U.S. per barrel.
Gold prices dipped $3.20 to $1,288.30 U.S. an ounce.
