Futures for Canada's main stock index inched higher on Tuesday, after stock markets around the world gained on reduced volatility.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index gained 34.93 points, to finish Monday at 16,515.46
The Canadian dollar nicked ahead 0.05 cents to 74.82 cents U.S. early Tuesday
June futures gained 0.2% Tuesday.
Australia's Healthscope cut its fiscal 2019 hospital operating earnings guidance and set May 22 as the date for shareholders to vote on the takeover bid from Canadian investment firm Brookfield.
RBC raised the price target on CGI Inc. to $100.00 from $95.00
CIBC cut the price target on NFI Group to $44.00 from $45.00
Eight Capital cut the target price Yamana Gold to $4.50 from $4.75
On the economic calendar, Statistics Canada reported that offshore investors bought $12 billion into Canadian investments in February following a significant investment of $28.6 billion in January, while Canadians investment in foreign securities increased to $5.3 billion, led by purchases of U.S. corporate bonds.
Also, the agency said, manufacturing sales in Canada edged down 0.2% in February to $56.6 billion, following a 0.8% increase in January.
Lower sales at motor vehicle assembly and wood products industries were largely offset by gains in the petroleum and coal product, paper and machinery industries.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange docked 6.82 points Monday to 618.82
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock index futures rose on Tuesday as investors cheered strong earnings from UnitedHealth Group and Johnson & Johnson.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 167 points, or 0.6%, to 26,540.
Futures for the S&P 500 hiked 10.5 points, or 0.4%, at 2,920
NASDAQ futures improved 32.75 points, or 0.4%, to 7,680.50
UnitedHealth Group shares were up nearly 3% in the premarket after the company reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue. The company also raised its earnings guidance for the full year.
Johnson & Johnson, another Dow component, climbed 1.9% on stronger-than-forecast quarterly results. More than half of its revenue came from prescription drug sales, which increased by more than 4%.
Other companies that posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings include Bank of America and BlackRock.
The corporate earnings season is off to a strong start. Nearly 84% of the S&P 500 companies that have reported so far have beaten analyst earnings expectations.
IBM, Netflix, and CSX are among the companies set to report after Tuesday’s close.
On the data front, a report on U.S. industrial production and capacity utilization is due at 9.15 a.m. ET, and the National Association of Home Builders survey will be out at 10 a.m. ET.
Overseas, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 picked up 0.2% Friday, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index spiked 1.1%.
Oil prices gained 35 cents to $63.75 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices docked $4.10 to $1,287.20 U.S. an ounce.
