Futures for Canada's main stock index inched higher in thin trading on Thursday, as easing worries over the impact of the Omicron variant boosted sentiment, although weaker crude prices caped further gains.
The S&P/TSX Composite surpassed its Christmas Eve close by 114.97 points and ended Wednesday at 21,344.65
The Canadian dollar crept up 0.6 cents to 78.28 cents U.S.
March futures eked up 0.1% Thursday.
TD Securities cut the target price on K-BRO Linen to $49.00 from $55.00
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange fell 10.69 points, or 1.1%, Wednesday to 924.28.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock index futures inched higher in early morning trading on Thursday after the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at new records.
Futures for the blue-chip Dow acquired 47 points, or 0.1%, to 36,428.
Futures for the S&P 500 moved upward 7.25 points, or 0.2%, to 4,791.75.
Futures for the NASDAQ added 33.5 points, or 0.2%, to 16,524.
All three major averages are in the green for December. The S&P and Dow are on pace for a second positive month in the last three, while the NASDAQ is on track for a third straight month of gains.
With just two trading days left in 2021, the major averages are also on track to end the year in the green. The S&P has climbed 27.6% and Dow is up 19.2%. The NASDAQ gained 22.3%
Biogen slid 6.5% in the pre-market after Samsung denied a report in The Korea Economic Daily that it was in talks to buy Biogen. Biogen shares had surged 9.5% on Wednesday.
On the flip side, a number of consumer stocks rose to new all-time highs during the session, including Domino’s Pizza, McDonald’s, Yum Brands, Costco and Procter & Gamble.
Investors will get their latest look at the employment picture when the U.S. Labor Department reports on weekly jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect initial claims to total 205,000 for the week ended Dec. 25, the same total as the prior period. That would keep claims around their lowest level in more than 50 years.
Overseas, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.4% Thursday, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong eked out a gain of 0.1%.
Oil prices backed off 35 cents to $76.21 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices slipped $2.30 to $1,803.50 U.S. an ounce.
