Stock futures pointed to a higher opening for Canada's main stock index on Thursday, tracking gains in global markets, as voting began in Scotland's referendum on independence.
The S&P/TSX composite index fell 51.66 points to close Wednesday at 15,458.88. Futures Thursday were up 0.4%.
The Canadian dollar eked back 0.03 cents to 90.90 cents U.S. early Thursday.
A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Lisa Raitt says the federal government will fine Canadian National Railway for failing to meet minimum weekly grain volumes.
Cenovus Energy said on Wednesday it has begun producing oil from the sixth expansion stage of its Foster Creek oil sands project, adding 30,000 barrels per day of new capacity at the northern Alberta site.
Costco Wholesale said it would stop accepting American Express Co cards in Canada from next year as it will not be renewing its credit card relationship, which expires on Dec. 31.
RBC cut the price target on Advantage Oil & Gas to $8.00 from $8.50
RBC raised the price target on Canadian Natural Resources to $54 from $53
On the economic beat, Statistics Canada reports that just as many Canadians were on the pogey in July as the month before. The number of people receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits in July totalled 499,300, little changed from the previous month. Compared with 12 months earlier, the number of beneficiaries decreased 2.9% or 14,900.
Also, the agency said Canadian investors added $9.7 billion of foreign securities to their portfolios in July, the largest such investment since April 2007. Meanwhile, foreign investors acquired $5.3 billion of Canadian securities, mainly instruments from the corporate sector.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange doffed 3.19 points Wednesday to 972.51.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock futures were looking healthy Thursday, setting the stage for what could be another record high for blue chips.
Ahead of the opening bell, futures for the Dow Jones Industrials gained 42 points, or 0.3%, to 17,111. Futures for the S&P 500 gained six points, or 0.3%, to 1,999.75, and futures for the NASDAQ acquired 12.75 points, or 0.3%, to 4,078.
Alibaba is expected to price its IPO after the market close in a range of $66.00 U.S. to $68.00 U.S. per share. The Chinese e-commerce giant is set to start trading in New York Friday in what could be the biggest initial public offering of all time. The company could raise more money than Facebook or Visa when they went public.
Shares in Sony came crashing down in Tokyo after the company forecast it would post a staggering net loss of $2.1 billion U.S. for its fiscal year ending next March. Shares fell by as much as 13% before recovering slightly to close with a loss of 8.6%.
Watch Pier 1 Import trading Thursday. Shares plunged in extended trading after the company said profit was nearly cut in half during the most recent quarter.
Rite Aid will report quarterly earnings before the opening bell and Oracle will report after the close.
The U.S. government was to post weekly jobless claims this morning, as well as August housing starts and building permits.
Scots have begun voting Thursday morning to decide whether Scotland should become an independent country.
More than 4.2 million people have registered to vote, the largest electorate ever in Scotland, and turnout in the referendum is expected to be high.
A vote for independence would mean Scotland splits from the rest of the United Kingdom, made up of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Oil prices faded 23 cents to $94.19 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices dipped $17.50 to $1,218.40 U.S. an ounce.
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