Stock futures pointed to a lower start for markets in Toronto on Thursday as gold and copper prices fell ahead of the release of key economic data from China.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index gained 89.93 points to close Wednesday at 13,671.35. June futures were off 0.04% early Thursday
The Canadian dollar subtracted 0.06 cents to 77.96 cents U.S. early Thursday.
Pacific Exploration & Production Corp said its board had agreed to negotiate a financial restructuring involving the Catalyst Capital Group Inc and the company's creditors.
Teck Resources said water containing metals had spilled at its Trail smelting and refining plant in British Columbia on Wednesday, with some discharge possibly flowing into a nearby creek.
Canaccord Genuity raised the price target on Corus Entertainment to $11.00 from $10.00
On the economic slate, Statistics Canada reported its new housing price index rose 0.2% in February, following a 0.1% increase in January.
The advance was led by higher new home prices in Ontario and British Columbia.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange fell 5.2 points Wednesday to 621.72
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock futures are slipping Thursday morning.
Ahead of the opening bell, futures for the Dow Jones Industrials inched up three points to 17,831, while futures for the S&P 500 faded 0.25 points to 2,075.75. NASDAQ futures dipped 1.75 points to 4,546.
Big U.S. banks Wells Fargo and Bank of America are reporting earnings ahead of the bell, alongside Delta Air Lines and BlackRock.
Some of the key companies that reported earlier this week were JPMorgan Chase and Alcoa.
On the economic front, U.S. inflation data is coming out this morning. The Federal Reserve keeps a close eye on this number when it makes interest rate decisions.
European markets are looking a bit soft in early trading.
Asian markets mostly ended the day with gains.
Oil prices squeaked higher six cents to $41.82 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices retreated $6.88 to $1,235.59 U.S. an ounce.
