Stock futures pointed to a higher opening for Canada's main stock index on Wednesday, as pessimism over the Greek deal saga faded.
The S&P/TSX composite index grew 19.8 points to conclude Tuesday at 15,284.61, with futures Wednesday moving up 0.2%.
The Canadian dollar fell 0.33 cents to 80.39 cents U.S. early Wednesday.
The Harper government said Canada is imposing sanctions against top Russian oil firm NK Rosneft OAO and the head of conglomerate Rostec, among others, in response to the actions of Russian-backed militants in Ukraine.
Cenovus Energy has agreed to sell 67.5 million shares to a group of underwriters as it seeks to raise about $1.5 billion for its 2015 capital spending budget as oil prices remain weak.
Raymond James raises rating on Trinidad Drilling to outperform from market perform
CIBC cut the rating on Exfo to sector underperformer from sector performer
National Bank Financial raised the rating on Rona to outperform from sector perform
Economically speaking, Statistics Canada reported that wholesale trade rose 2.5% in December to $55.4 billion.
Higher sales were recorded in six of seven sub-sectors, representing 80% of wholesale sales, the chief engine of this growth came in motor vehicle and parts.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange regained 1.16 points Tuesday to 697.67
ON WALLSTREET
Stock futures are holding steady.
Ahead of the opening bell, futures for the Dow Jones Industrials dipped 15 points, or 0.1%, to 17,986. Futures for the S&P 500 stepped back three points, or 0.1%, to 2,093, and futures for the NASDAQ dropped 1.5 points to 4,380.25.
Investors are reacting to new filings that show famed investor Warren Buffett dumped his stakes in oil companies Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips. Shares in Exxon Mobil are off by about 2% pre-market.
Many investors like to follow Buffett's trading strategies, which often create ripple effects across markets.
Hilton Hotels and Hyatt Hotels will report earnings before the opening bell.
Marriott, SolarCity and the massive gold miner Barrick Gold report after the close.
The U.S. government is releasing January housing starts and building permit numbers this morning.
At 2 p.m. the U.S. Federal Reserve will release the minutes from its latest monetary policy meeting.
Over in the U.K., new figures show the jobs market keeps improving, with unemployment down to 5.7% at the end of 2014.
European markets are rising in early trading as reports indicate Greece will ask for a six-month loan extension from its European creditors, which would help it avoid running out of money and stumbling out of the euro-zone.
Asian markets closed with gains. The Nikkei 225 in Japan jumped by 1.2%, putting it at a level not seen since 2007. This came after the country's central bank announced it would continue its massive stimulus program.
Oil prices ditched 2.2% to $52.34 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices removed 0.3% to $1,205.40 U.S. an ounce.
