Stock futures pointed to a higher opening for Canada's main stock index on Tuesday as Brent crude prices jumped.
The S&P/TSX composite index stayed positive 29.71 points, to close Monday at 15,264.05, with March futures inching up 0.04%.
The Canadian dollar took the elevator higher by 0.63 cents to 80.39 cents U.S. early Tuesday.
Bank of Nova Scotia reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit, hurt by higher provisions and a "softer" performance in its investment banking business.
BlackBerry unveiled a new mid-market smartphone dubbed the BlackBerry Leap that is set to replace the Z3 device launched a year ago, in a move to woo buyers in certain emerging markets where BlackBerry still has a fairly large client base.
Silver Wheaton Corp said on Monday it would pay $900 million for the right to buy an additional 25% of future gold production from Vale SA's Salobo mine in Brazil, boosting its 2015 gold output to 230,000 ounces.
CIBC cut the rating on Constellation Software Inc. to underperform from sector perform. CIBC also cut the rating on Major Drilling Group sector perform from outperform.
Lastly, CIBC raised the target price on Mitel Networks Corp $15 from $12.50
On the economic scene, Statistics Canada reported this morning that December’s Gross Domestic Product kept rolling in the final quarter of 2014, after a 0.8% jump in Q3. Monthly real GDP increased 0.3% in December.
The agency also reported that its industrial product price index declined 0.4% in January, largely as a result of lower prices for energy and petroleum products, while its raw materials price index faded 7.7% in January, lower energy prices again the main culprit.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange lost 2.38 points to 704.35
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock futures are slipping lower, indicating markets could see a modest retreat at the open.
Ahead of the opening bell, futures for the Dow Jones Industrials retreated 44 points, or 0.2%, to 18,204. Futures for the S&P 500 dipped six points, or 0.3%, to 2,108, and futures for the NASDAQ ducked back 9.5 points, or 0.2%, to 4,467.50.
Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Kate Spade are reporting ahead of the open.
In London, shares in Barclays and Glencore are both declining by about 2% after the firms reported annual results.
European markets seemed to be tracking U.S. gains into Tuesday. All major indexes were edging higher.
Asian markets mostly closed with losses. The typically volatile Shanghai Composite was the biggest loser for the day. It fell by 2.2%.
Oil prices gained 0.8% to $49.96 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices lost 0.1% $1,207.30 U.S. an ounce.
