Stock futures in Toronto pointed to a higher open on Friday as hearty risk appetite and strong economic data from Japan support equities.
The S&P/TSX composite index tacked on 69.89 points to close for the Christmas holidays at 13,517.59. Futures traded up 0.5% this morning.
The Canadian dollar dipped 0.18 cents to 93.74 cents U.S. early Friday
Japan passed the halfway mark toward its inflation goal last month as prices rose the most in five years, while regular wages halted 17 months of declines, underlining progress under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to revitalize the economy.
The Toronto markets were shuttered Wednesday and Thursday for Christmas and Boxing Day, and traded a half-session on Christmas Eve.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 6.24 points Christmas Eve to 903.22
ON WALLSTREET
With only a few trading days left in 2013, investors who are hoping the Santa Claus rally will continue Friday may be disappointed.
Ahead of the opening bell, futures for the Dow Jones Industrials gained nine points to 16,431. Futures for the S&P 500 inched up 0.8 points to 1,837.20, and futures for the NASDAQ took on 2.5 points to 3,584.25.
On Thursday, the Dow closed at a record high for the 50th time this year. The S&P 500 also ended at a record high, and the tech-heavy NASDAQ marked a new 13-year high.
But those gains may be curtailed as investors could sell stocks to reduce their tax bill.
Markets have charted big gains this year. The Dow and S&P 500 are both up more than 20%, while the NASDAQ has soared over 30%.
The Dow is on track for its best year since 2003 and the S&P 500 on pace for its strongest year since 1997.
European markets rose in morning trading, led by a 0.7% rise on Germany's DAX. London's FTSE gained 0.5% and France's CAC 40 put on 0.6%.
Asian markets ended the week on a positive note. China's Shanghai Composite rose 1.4% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.3%.
Oil prices gained eight cents to $99.63 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices docked two dollars at $1,210.30 U.S. an ounce.
