Stock futures pointed to a lower opening for Canada's main stock index on Friday ahead of the country's employment numbers and U.S. jobs data.
The S&P/TSX composite index plummeted 80.84 points to conclude Thursday at 15,576.79, with futures off 0.2%.
The Canadian dollar hesitated 0.03 cents to 91.92 cents U.S. early Friday.
Goldcorp's gold production this year could end up near the bottom end of its forecast range if it is unable to restart output at one of its Mexican mines, the company's chief executive said on Thursday.
Bombardier's troubled CSeries is on the brink of resuming test flights in coming days, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
Canada is likely to choose between two major U.S. firms when it buys a new fleet of jet fighters, excluding two European competitors, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.
CIBC raised the rating on Alliance Grain Traders to outperform from sector perform.
On the economic front, Statistics Canada reported that employment was little changed in August and the unemployment rate remained at 7.0%. The agency compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased by 81,000, or 0.5%, mostly in part-time work.
Also, Western University’s IVEY Purchasing Managers’ Index was due for release about 10 a.m. ET.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange lost 14.75 points Thursday to 995.43.
ON WALLSTREET
The big news to cap off this week will be the jobs report. But there are still plenty of other things going on in the markets.
Ahead of the opening bell, futures for the Dow Jones Industrials dipped 63 points, or 0.4%, to 17,016. Futures for the S&P 500 faded 7.75 points, or 0.4%, to 1,990, and futures for the NASDAQ fell 6.25 points, or 0.2%, to 4,063.
Shares of El Pollo Loco rose in extended trading after the company released its first earnings report since it went public in July. The company said sales and profit rose compared to the same time period last year, making investors salivate.
Economically speaking, Friday was also jobs data in the U.S., where the economy added 142,000 jobs, docking the unemployment rate to 6.1% from 6.2%.
Economists projected the U.S. economy would add 226,000 jobs in August.
On Thursday, processing firm ADP reported that private employers added 204,000 new workers in August. That marks the fifth straight month of companies adding at least 200,000 new hires to their payrolls.
Major European markets were mixed in early trading after strong gains Thursday inspired by the European Central Bank's dramatic moves to boost the economy.
Oil prices eased 20 cents to $94.25 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices slid $2.30 to $1,264.20 U.S. an ounce.
