Tensions about possible U.S. military strikes against Syria, coupled with existing worries about the U.S. Federal Reserve's stimulus program, pushed Canadian stock index futures lower on Wednesday.
The S&P/TSX composite index plummeted 169.09 points, or 1.3%, to end Tuesday at 12,591.21, with futures down 0.2% Wednesday.
The Canadian dollar chopped 0.06 cents to 95.41 cents U.S. early Wednesday
Canadian Oil Sands said a coker at Syncrude's northern Alberta oil sands project is back in operation after the completion of maintenance work that started in June. The company is the largest shareholder in Syncrude.
Barclays raised the target price on Bank of Montreal to $65 from $62 after the bank's earnings beat expectations
National Bank Financial cut the target price on National Bank of Canada to $64 from $67, expressing the opinion that the disappointing performance in the international banking segment stands out as the most striking aspect of the third-quarter's results
RBC cut the rating on Minera IRL Ltd. to sector perform from outperform and the price target to 45 cents from 75 cents, saying liquidity pressures remain while the company's Don Nicolas project moves forward
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange dumped 17.84 points Tuesday to 936.74.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks could pop up at the opening bell, even as uncertainty roils markets around the world and investors fret over the potential consequences of a U.S.-led military strike on Syria.
Ahead of the opening bell, futures for the Dow Jones Industrials were down nine points to 14,749. Futures for the S&P 500 gained two points to 1,630.20, and futures for the NASDAQ took on 2.75 points at 3,062.25
The world seems increasingly convinced that the U.S. -- and its allies -- will make a military strike against Syrian government forces in the coming days. U.S. officials report that Syrian forces used chemical weapons to attack innocent people.
European markets were in negative territory in midday trading, while Asian markets ended in the red. Both Japan's Nikkei 225 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell by as much as 1.6%. The Shanghai Composite was relatively unchanged.
Oil prices hiked $1.46 to $110.47 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices added $4.80 to $1,425 U.S. an ounce.
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