Futures for Canada's main stock index rose on Friday, tracking global stocks, ahead of data that is expected to show that U.S. job growth likely continued at a brisk rate in March.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index dropped 185.8 points to close Thursday at 21,890.16.
June futures gained 0.6% Friday.
The Canadian dollar inched up 0.09 cents to 80.08 cents U.S.
BlackBerry reported fourth-quarter revenue on Thursday that missed analysts' estimates as growth at its cybersecurity business, its biggest, was flat due to increased competition.
Agnico Eagle is bullish on the prospects for its Fosterville mine and growth in Australia, its chief executive said on Friday after his first visit there since merging with Kirkland Lake Gold.
National Bank of Canada raised the price target on Aya Gold & Silver to $11.50 from $11.25
Canaccord Genuity cut the target price on Boat Rocker Media to $11.00 from $13.00
TD Securities cut the target price on Richelieu Hardware to $52.00 from $55.00
On the economic slate, Markit Canada was set to release its Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index for March Friday morning (about 9:30 a.m. EDT)
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 6.91 points Thursday to 892.43.
ON WALLSTREET
Stock futures rose early Friday as investors assessed a new quarter of trading and a troublesome bond market recession indicator.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials leaped 164 points, or 0.5%, to 34,782.
Futures for the S&P 500 advanced 20.25 points, or 0.5%, to 4,551.
Futures for the NASDAQ Composite Index picked up 76.5 points, or 0.5%, to 14,945.25.
All three major averages posted their worst quarter since March 2020. The Dow doffed 4.6% and S&P 500 declined 4.9% during the period, and the NASDAQ dropped more than 9%.
Stocks did stage a late-quarter comeback in March, however, after sharp declines from rising interest rates and inflation marked the first part of the year.
GameStop rallied more than 15% in extended trading after the video game retailer and meme stock announced its intentions for a stock split.
A strong jobs report Friday could give the Fed more confidence to keep its aggressive rate-hiking plan in place this year to stifle inflation without fear of slowing the economy too much.
Economists expect that about 490,000 jobs were added in March, according to the consensus estimate from Dow Jones, following a 678,000 payrolls addition in February. The unemployment rate is expected to fall to 3.7% from 3.8%, according to Dow Jones.
Other key indicators to watch out for include the Institute for Supply Management manufacturing index and the construction spending report, both of which will be released at 10 a.m. ET on Friday.
In Asia, the Nikkei 225 in Japan fell 0.6%, while in Hong Kong, in contrast, the Hang Seng index eked up 0.2%.
Oil prices fell $1.52 to $98.76 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices tumbled $20.80 to $1,933.20 U.S.
