Futures for Canada's main stock index were little changed on Thursday, as gains in oil prices were offset by weaker bullion, with hawkish signals from the minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting keeping sentiment in check.
The S&P/TSX Composite collapsed 196.64 points to close Wednesday at 21,039.88.
The Canadian dollar faded 0.07 cents to 78.31 cents U.S.
March futures were flat Thursday.
TC Energy says its 590,000-barrels-per-day Keystone oil pipeline resumed operations on Wednesday, after it was shut the previous evening for unplanned maintenance as parts of western Canada grappled with frigid winter weather.
IGM Financial said its subsidiary Mackenzie Financial Corp will acquire Power Corporation of Canada's 13.9% stake in China Asset Management Co in a $1.15-billion cash deal.
RBC cut the rating on ECN Capital to sector perform from outperform.
TD Securities raises target price on Metro to $72 from $70
Credit Suisse raises target price on Suncor Energy to $45.00 from $42.00
On the economic calendar, Statistics Canada said total exports increased 3.8%, while imports rose 2.4%. As a result, Canada's merchandise trade surplus widened from $2.3 billion in October to $3.1 billion in November.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange lost 16.14 points, or 1.7%, Wednesday to 924.43.
ON WALLSTREET
Dow Jones Industrial futures edged higher in early trading Thursday, recovering after worries over tighter monetary policy led to the first losing regular trading session of the year.
Futures for the 30-stock index gained 82 points, or 0.2%, to 36,373.
Futures for the S&P 500 slid 2.25 points, or 0.1%, to 4,690.25.
Futures for the NASDAQ dipped 88 points, or 0.6%, to 15,678.50.
Energy shares helped boost the market in early action as crude prices rose 1.5%. Marathon Oil gained 2.6%, Occidental Petroleum was up 2.2% and ExxonMobil rose 1.3%.
Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance gained 2.7% in pre-market trading after reporting strong fiscal first earnings driven by customers going to stores for Covid treatments and at-home tests. Meanwhile, Bed Bath & Beyond shares fell about 2% after reporting a loss for its fiscal third quarter.
Rate-sensitive stocks also were higher a day after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s December meeting revealed the central bank is getting ready to remove its economic help more more quickly than anticipated. Officials discussed reducing the Fed’s balance sheet in another move to dial back its pandemic-era easy monetary policy.
Bank of America saw its shares increase 1.5% premarket and Citigroup rose 1.4% and Wells Fargo gained 1.3%.
Overseas, Japan the Nikkei 225 collapsed 2.9% Thursday, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 0.7%.
Oil prices hiked $1.17 to $79.02 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices retreated $35.90 to $1,789.20 U.S. an ounce.
