Canadian stock futures pointed to a slightly higher open, with investors awaiting more clues from the central banks, especially on the shape of a European Central Bank bond-buying program.
The S&P/TSX Composite index picked up a solid 57.31 points to close Friday and week at 12,089.89. Canada stock futures traded up 0.2%.
The Canadian dollar faded 0.06 cents Monday morning to 101 cents U.S.
Among Canadian stocks to watch, gold-focused royalty company Franco-Nevada Corp said it will provide $1 billion to Inmet Mining Corp for the development of its Cobre Panama copper-gold project in Panama.
Japan Petroleum Exploration will make a final investment decision on its Hangingstone oil sands expansion project in Canada by the end of this year, delayed from a previous mid-year target, according to Nexen Inc.. A Japex subsidiary owns a 75% stake in the project, while Nexen has the rest.
New York State Supreme Court Justice Carol Edmead dismissed a defamation complaint against investors who raised questions of potential accounting fraud and misstatements of assets, brought by Silvercorp Metals Inc. against New York-based hedge fund Anthion Management, court documents showed on Friday.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 12.17 points Friday to 1,233.42. The Nasdaq Canada advanced 1.86 points to 351.13.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks headed for another quiet day Monday, possibly continuing a slow summer advance that has put stocks at their highest levels in more than four years.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials lost 18 points, or 0.1%, to 13,229, about 30 minutes before the opening bell.
Futures for the S&P 500 shed 1.2 points, or 0.1%, to 1,414, and for the Nasdaq, futures gathered three points, or 0.1%, to 2,779.
Trading volume has been low over the past few days, with many investors on vacation and little news out of Europe.
Even as fewer shares change hands, the U.S. Federal Reserve will once again take center stage this week when it releases minutes from its July meeting on Tuesday.
While the Fed didn't announce any further stimulus measures at the meeting, investors will look for clues about whether quantitative easing could be coming when chairman Ben Bernanke speaks at a Jackson Hole, Wyo., symposium at the end of the month.
Investors will also keep an eye on news out of Europe, as Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras meets with top euro-zone officials throughout the week. Samaras is expected to push for a two-year extension of Greece's bailout program, which would give the government more time to implement difficult reforms.
European stocks were mixed in midday trading. Britain's FTSE 100 edged lower by 0.3% and France's CAC 40 fell 0.2%, while the DAX in Germany ticked up 0.2%.
Asian markets ended mixed. The Shanghai Composite fell 0.4% and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong shaved off 0.1%, while Japan's Nikkei ended up 0.1%.
Oil for September delivery rose 12 cents to $96.13 U.S. a barrel.
Gold futures for December delivery fell $2.30 cents to $1,617.10 U.S. an ounce.
