Futures for Canada's commodity-heavy main stock index rose on Friday, aided by gains in oil and gold prices, while the benchmark index was set to log weekly gains on the back of strong corporate earnings.
The S&P/TSX Composite prospered 77.03 points to end Thursday at 21,342.13
The Canadian dollar dipped 0.6 cents to 80.24 cents U.S.
December futures gained 0.3% Friday.
A Canadian court is set to pronounce its verdict on which of the dueling boards and chairs of Rogers Communications is legitimate, a dispute that has warped the country's biggest wireless carrier after a feud in the founding family erupted into the open.
CIBC raised the target price on BCE to $65.00 from $64.00
JP Morgan raised the target price on Canadian Natural Resources to $62.00 from $54.00
RBC raised the target price on Constellation Software to $2,700 from $2,300
On the economic beat, Statistics Canada says that, after returning to its pre-pandemic level in September, employment held steady, in October, taking on 31,000 jobs. The agency added the unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 6.7%.
Later this morning (about 10 a.m.), Western University's IVEY School of Business is out with its Purchasing Managers Index for October.
Canadian banks and insurers can resume dividend increases and share buybacks and raise executive compensation, the country's financial regulator said on Thursday, lifting a moratorium it imposed in March 2020 and possibly paving the way for a boost to the sector's valuation.
Ontario on Thursday projected a smaller budget deficit as stronger-than-expected economic growth helped boost tax revenues and the COVID-19 pandemic fades.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange was up 3.99 points Thursday to 988.26.
ON WALLSTREET
Stock futures rose slightly in morning trading Friday ahead of the highly anticipated October jobs report.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials took on 40 points, or 0.1%, to 36,049.
Futures for the S&P 500 gained 11 points, or 0.2%, to 4,684.25
Futures for the NASDAQ Composite Index jumped 31.25 points, or 0.2%, to 16,362.
All three major averages are on track to end the week higher. The Dow is up 0.9% on the week, while the S&P 500 is 1.6% higher and the NASDAQ Composite is up 2.9%.
A major development in the fight against the pandemic boosted shares of Pfizer, which rose more than 9% pre-market, after the company said its COVID-19 drug, used with an HIV drug, cut the risk of hospitalization by 89%.
Peloton shares cratered more than 32% in pre-market trading after the fitness platform and maker of interactive treadmills and exercise bikes reported a much larger loss than expected and cut its full-year outlook as fitness buffs headed back to the gym and away from at-home workouts.
The company also cited ongoing supply chain challenges for its "challenged visibility" over the near term that CEO John Foley said is causing the company to lower its expectations.
Recovery stock Expedia saw its shares roar higher by 11.6% pre-market a day after the company said renewed travel demand boosted its top and bottom lines higher than analysts had expected.
Overseas, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 sank 0.6%, while Hong Kong, the Hang Seng declined 1.4%.
Oil prices hiked 99 cents to $79.80 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices fell 20 cents to $1,793.30 U.S. an ounce.
