Canadian stocks were set to open lower on Monday as investors were concerned over the situation in Ukraine and the potential for growth-sapping sanctions.
The S&P/TSX composite index remained positive 62.09 points to end Friday and the week at 15,266.57, with futures down 0.2% Monday.
The Canadian dollar listed lower by 0.07 cents to 93.09 cents U.S. early Monday
A Canadian National Railway train derailed in Wisconsin on Sunday night, spurring local residents to move to safer locations, according to the railway and media reports.
Encana Corp. may sell its Deep Panuke natural gas project, off Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast, by year’s end, Bloomberg News reported on its website.
CIBC cut the rating on Total Energy Services to sector performer from outperform.
Raymond James raised the rating on Toromont Industries to outperform from market perform
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 6.48 points Friday to 1,012.24.
ON WALLSTREET
Geopolitical risks, big tobacco and earnings are top of mind for investors in American markets on Monday.
Ahead of the opening bell, futures for the Dow Jones Industrials slid 39 points, or 0.2%, to 16,993. Futures for the S&P 500 dipped 4.25 points, or 0.2%, to 1,965.25, and futures for the NASDAQ fell 3.5 points, or 0.1%, to 3,926.75.
Shares in tobacco giants Reynolds American and Philip Morris International were falling heavily pre-market after a Florida jury ordered R.J. Reynolds Tobacco to pay $23.6-billion U.S. to the widow of a long-time smoker who died of lung cancer.
This is one of the largest awards against a tobacco firm, but the company is looking to avoid the massive payout.
It's a big earnings week for the food industry.
But up early Monday are Halliburton, Hasbro and Allergan with earnings before the opening bell. Netflix, Crocs and Chipotle will report after the close.
European markets were declining in early trading, with the benchmark DAX index in Germany sliding by 0.7%. Investors are still worrying about the fallout from the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine.
The main stock market in Russia was down by 1.4% as political leaders around the world call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to use his influence to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine. EU foreign ministers could decide to impose new sanctions on Russia as early as Tuesday.
Asian markets ended with mixed results, Japanese markets having the day off.
Oil prices settled 13 cents to $103.00 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices gained eight dollars to $1,317.40 U.S. an ounce.
