Futures for Canadian equity markets were pretty much static on Tuesday as investors awaited trade talks between the United States and China due to start later this week.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index inched up 7.32 points to end Monday at 16,331.03
The Canadian dollar gained 0.09 to 76.77 cents U.S. early Tuesday
September futures eked up 0.02% Tuesday
BMO raised the price target on Agellan Commercial REIT to $14.75 from $13.25
BMO raised the price target on CAPREIT to $50.00 from $44.00
TD Securities cut the price target on Tahoe Resources to $6.00 from $6.50
On the economic beat, Statistics Canada reported that wholesale trade was down 0.8% in June to $63.1 billion, the second time in three months, with sales off in five of seven sub-sectors, accounting for 71% of total wholesale sales.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 8.47 points Monday to 686.48
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock index futures eked out slight gains ahead of Tuesday's open, as investors turn their attention to the political and central banking spheres.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials gained 51 points, or 0.2%, to 25,809
S&P 500 futures picked up 4.25 points, or 0.2%, to 2,862.75, while futures for the NASDAQ composite advanced 15.5 points, or 0.2%, to 7,402.50
Keysight Technologies and La-Z-Boy Incorporated are among a host of firms announcing earnings Tuesday.
Investors continue to monitor news surrounding the U.S. administration's relationship with China and the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Markets have been in wait-and-see mode over recent sessions, as reports emerge that a nine-member delegation from Beijing would hold meetings with officials from the States later on this week. The news, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, went onto add that this could lead to a potential meeting between the presidents of China and the U.S. later on in November this year.
However, on Monday, the U.S. President Trump told the media he wasn't expecting much progress from trade discussions with China.
Members of the U.S. Federal Reserve are to gather later this week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the annual economic symposium. This year, Fed Chair Jerome Powell is due to deliver a speech on Friday, and the summit will be themed around the idea of changing market structure and the implications for monetary policy going forward. The minutes from the latest Fed meeting will be released tomorrow.
Overseas, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.1% while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index advanced 0.6%.
Oil prices hiked 88 cents to $67.31 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices shone brighter by $3.50 to $1,198.10 U.S. an ounce.
