Stock futures for Canada's main stock were almost flat on Friday, as investors awaited the gross domestic product and retail sales numbers for October, scheduled to be released later in the day.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index slouched 122.29 points to finish Thursday at 14,141.77
The Canadian dollar dipped 0.22 cents at 73.86 U.S. early Friday
December futures eked up 0.05% Friday.
A trade secrets lawsuit brought by Bombardier against the aircraft unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries should be dismissed because the allegations are baseless and designed to "disrupt development" of a rival jet, a spokesman for the Japanese company said on Thursday.
Australia's Healthscope Ltd. on Friday said it has extended exclusive takeover talks with suitor Brookfield Asset Management by a month, and that a rival suitor remained interested, potentially re-igniting a bidding war.
First Quantum Minerals said that it would lay off 2,500 workers in Zambia over plans by Africa's number-two copper producer to hike mining taxes.
Raymond James cut the price target on BlackBerry to $10 from $11.50
On the economic slate, Statistics Canada reported that real gross domestic product expanded 0.3% in October, following a 0.1% decrease in September.
The agency also reports that there was growth in 15 of 20 industrial sectors, led by increases in manufacturing, finance and insurance and wholesale trade.
What’s more, retail sales increased 0.3% to $51.0 billion in October. Higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers and gasoline stations were the main contributors to the gain. Excluding these two sub-sectors, retail sales declined 0.4%.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange dipped 4.86 points Thursday to 537.01
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock index futures pointed to marginal losses on Friday, leaving the major equity indexes on track for a dismal end to the week.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 31 points, or 0.1%, to 22,966
Futures for the S&P 500 slipped 5.75 points, or 0.2%, to 2,480.50,
NASDAQ futures faltered 20.75 points, or 0.3%, to 6,304.50. Stocks are on track for steep losses for the trading week and the month of December.
The Dow and S&P 500, which are both in corrections, are on track for their worst December performance since the Great Depression in 1931, down more than 10% each this month.
Both indexes have lost more than 5% this week; the Dow has shed more than 1,200 points since Monday. Both the Dow and the S&P 500 are now in the red for 2018 by about 7.5%.
The Dow and NASDAQ on Thursday posted their lowest closes since October 2017, while the S&P 500 finished at its lowest level since September 2017.
CarMax was among a handful of stocks declaring earnings Friday.
On the data front, investors are likely to monitor a flurry of economic reports on Friday. Durable goods and personal income figures for November are both scheduled to be released at around 8:30 a.m. ET. Philly Fed non-manufacturing data and a final reading of consumer sentiment for December are due to be published later in the trading session.
Overseas, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 slumped 1.1% Friday, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index gained 0.5%.
Oil prices subtracted 73 cents to $45.15 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices dipped $3.90 to $1,264 U.S. an ounce.
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