Equities in Canada’s biggest market were little changed on Thursday, a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled a third interest rate hike for the year and as oil prices slipped.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index jumped 96.63 points to close Wednesday at 15,389.60, a level it hasn’t seen in months.
September futures dipped 0.04% Thursday morning.
The Canadian dollar slouched 0.2 to 80.89 cents U.S. Thursday morning.
Hundreds of Eldorado Gold workers fearing job losses marched through Athens on Thursday, hours before a deadline imposed by the Canadian miner over permits expires.
Villagers in the Peruvian Amazon have shut down at least 50 oil wells operated by Frontera Energy Corp to protest talks over a new contract even as past pollution lingers, the leader of an indigenous federation said on Wednesday.
CIBC raised the price target on AGF Management to $7.50 from $6.00
Canaccord Genuity cut the target price on Canacol Energy to $4.75 from $5.15
On the economic ledger, Statistics Canada reported Thursday morning that wholesale sales rose 1.5% to $62.4 billion in July, following a 0.6% decline in June.
Sales were up in five of the seven sub-sectors, representing 86% of total wholesale sales.
The agency also revealed the number of Canadians drawing regular employment insurance benefits jumped in July for the first time in eight months as 536,600 people received regular EI benefits, up 6,800, or 1.3%, from June.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange slid 1.09 points to conclude Wednesday at 776.66
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower open on Thursday morning, after the Federal Reserve opted to start shrinking its balance sheet and signaled one more interest rate hike this year.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials dropped nine points to 22,367
S&P 500 futures slipped 1.25 points, or 0.1%, to 2,504, while futures on the NASDAQ Composite index loosed four points, or 0.1%, to 5,974.50
On the earnings front, Manchester United and Scholastic are both poised to release their latest earnings figures before the bell.
While the Fed's statement on Wednesday was widely expected, it was a little more hawkish than traders had anticipated, causing the 10-year Treasury yield to jump higher.
Economics-wise, initial claims and the Philadelphia Federal Reserve's Business index for September were both to be reported this morning, while the Federal Finance Housing Agency (FHFA) home price index and leading indicators are both due out later on Thursday morning.
Overseas, markets in Europe were appreciably higher approaching noon local time, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 nicked up 0.2%, and CSI 300 in Shanghai lost 0.1%.
Oil prices faded 49 cents to $50.20 U.S. per barrel.
Gold prices slipped $20.40 to $1,296 U.S. an ounce.
