Futures for Canada's main stock index were little changed on Wednesday as investors digested June retail sales data.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index faded 34.06 points to adjourn Tuesday at 16,296.97
The Canadian dollar gained 0.11 cents to 76.79 cents U.S. early Wednesday
September futures gave back 0.02% Wednesday
Royal Bank of Canada reported third-quarter earnings that were ahead of market expectations, helped by strong results from its retail, wealth management and investment banking businesses.
RBC raised the target price on Brookfield Business Partners LP to $47.00 from $45.00
On the economic beat, Statistics Canada reported that, following a 2.2% increase in May, retail sales edged down 0.2% in June to $50.7 billion.
The agency went on to say sales were down in six of 11 sub-sectors, representing 52% of total retail trade.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 5.48 points Wednesday to 691.96
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock index futures attempted to shake off renewed political worries surrounding President Donald Trump on the day the bull market was set to become the longest on record.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials subtracted 31 points, or 0.1%, to 25,776
S&P 500 futures slid 5.25 points, or 0.2%, to 2,856.50, while futures for the NASDAQ composite six points, or 0.1%, to 7,391.50
Target shares jumped on strong earnings, helping boost futures well off their lows.
Target reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings on the back of its best same-store sales growth in 13 years. The report sent Target shares up by more than 4% before the bell.
Dow futures fell nearly 100 points overnight at one point after Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer, pleaded guilty to eight counts related to tax fraud, campaign contributions, making false statements to a financial institution, and unlawful corporate contributions. Cohen also admitted to making payments to two women at the direction of Trump.
Meanwhile, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was found guilty on eight counts in a separate case. Five of those counts pertained to tax fraud, two to bank fraud and one to failing to file foreign bank account reports.
The report comes as a nine-member delegation from Beijing is set to start talks with U.S. officials in Washington today, with the hope of finding ways to relieve friction between the two nations. The meeting comes as fresh tariffs from the U.S. on $16 billion of Chinese goods are due to come into effect this week, with Beijing having imposed the same amount in retaliatory levies on the States.
Later on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve is scheduled to release the minutes from its meeting earlier this month. The release is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.
The current bull market turned 3,453 days old on Wednesday. In that time, the S&P 500 has skyrocketed more than 300 percent in that time period. On Tuesday, it tied the one that ran from October 1990 to March 2000.
Overseas, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.6% while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index also gained 0.6%.
Oil prices increased $1.20 to $67.04 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices strengthened $5.80 to $1,205.80 U.S. an ounce.
