Canada's main stock index tailed off soon after the opening bell after a rough week to begin April.
The S&P/TSX index lost 1.15 points to begin Monday at 12,330.70.
The Canadian dollar stepped back 0.20 cents at 98.01 cents U.S.
Bombardier Inc. said its train unit signed an agreement with German engineering group Siemens AG to supply 336 million euros of train components to state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn. Shares in the train maker squeaked ahead six cents to $3.99.
Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corp said on Friday it has hired advisors to consider a possible sale or other strategic options following reports that Rio Tinto may sell its controlling stake in the company's only asset. The company jumped $1.24 to $34.30.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 2.83 points to 1,044.68
Eight of the 14 Toronto subgroups began the day lower. Financials dipped 0.6%, while global base metals and their cousins in metals and mining each fell 0.4%
Telecoms led the half-dozen gainers, up 0.4%, while energy picked up 0.3% and industrials inched up 0.2%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks opened mixed Monday, following one of the worst weeks of the year, as investors geared up for the start of earnings while monitoring Europe's debt crisis and nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The Dow Jones Industrials began the day negative 47.79 points, to 14,517.50
The S&P 500 index slipped 3.45 points to 1,549.83. The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite dipped 5.70 points to 3,198.16.
Aluminum producer Alcoa is on tap to report first-quarter results after the closing bell. The Dow component is expected to post a profit decline due to weak aluminum prices. But overall, analysts are forecasting first-quarter earnings to grow 1.5% compared to a year ago, according to Thomson Reuters.
In other corporate news, General Electric said it planned to buy energy company Lufkin Industries for $3.3 billion U.S. Shares of Lufkin, which builds and maintains equipment for oil and gas wells, surged nearly 40% in early trading.
Anheuser-Busche InBev's proposed $20-billion U.S. acquisition of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo appears to be back on track after the companies, along with Constellation Brands and Crown Imports, said they'd reached an agreement that would settle the Justice Department's objections to the deal.
Prices on the 10-year U.S. Treasury sagged a bit, raising yields to 1.71% from Friday’s 1.69%. Treasury prices yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices hiked eight cents to $93.04 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices dropped a dollar to $1,577.40 U.S. an ounce.
