Futures for Canada's main stock index fell on Friday, weighed down by weaker crude prices, with the benchmark index set for its worst weekly performance since early December.
The S&P/TSX Composite lost 146.98 points Thursday to 21,058.18, after sizable gains to begin the session
The Canadian dollar backslid 0.17 cents to 79.82 cents U.S.
March futures faded 0.3% Thursday.
CIBC raised the target price on Empire Company to $49.00 from $48.00.
CIBC cut the target price on George Weston to $171.00 from $175.00.
CIBC raised the target price on Metro to $68.00 from $67.00.
On the economic calendar, Statistics Canada reported retail sales gained 0.7% to $58.1 billion in November. The increase was led by higher sales at gasoline stations, building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers and food and beverage stores.
The agency’s new housing price index grew 0.2% its slowest pace since June 2020. Nationally, new home prices rose 11.6% year over year in December.
Elsewhere, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney on Thursday called on the federal government to pause a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers that companies say will disrupt the supply chain and fuel inflation.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange plunged 10.52 points, or 1.2%, Thursday to 890.35.
ON WALLSTREET
NASDAQ futures moved lower in early morning trading on Friday, following a disappointing earnings report from Netflix, building on the major averages’ declines that dragged it into correction territory.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials slumped 112 points, or 0.3%, to 34,504.
Futures for the S&P 500 caved 27.25 points, or 0.6%, to 4,447.50.
Futures for the NASDAQ cratered 142.75 points, or 1%, to 14,698.25.
Netflix’s disappointing quarterly report is the latest setback for technology investors. Shares of the streaming giant tumbled 19% in pre-market trading Friday after the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report showed a slowdown in subscriber growth. Its competitors shares also declined, with Dow component Disney, which operates the Disney+ streaming service, off 3.5% pre-market.
Netflix is the first major tech stock to report earnings this season, with Apple and Tesla slated to post earnings next week.
Peloton, meanwhile, plunged 23.9% during regular trading on Thursday after reports that the company is temporarily halting production of its fitness products. However, the maker of interactive fitness bicycles and treadmills saw shares rebound 5% in Friday’s pre-market.
The major losses in growth names have pushed the NASDAQ Composite further in correction territory as rising rates pressure technology stocks and future profits begin to look less attractive. At Thursday’s close, the NASDAQ was down 11.9% from its closing record in November.
The NASDAQ is headed for its worst week since Oct. 2020 due to a surge in interest rates this week. The U.S. 10-year Treasury hit 1.9% on Wednesday as investors focused on the Federal Reserve’s timeline for raising interest rates and broadly tightening monetary policy. However, bond yields retreated on Friday.
Overseas, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 faltered 0.9% Thursday while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong eked up 0.1%.
Oil prices moved downward $1.13 to $84.42 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices balked $6.50 to $1,836.10 U.S. an ounce.
