Toronto's main stock index looked set to open lower on Monday on concern that the euro-zone debt crisis could engulf Italy, overshadowing a government coalition deal in Greece that could help secure its latest bailout package.
Among stocks to watch this morning, Vermilion Energy Inc., whose quarterly profit more than doubled helped by higher oil and natural gas production from its Australian properties.
Oilfield services provider Ensign Energy Services Inc. said its third-quarter net profit nearly doubled, helped by a strong demand for oilfield services.
Yukon-Nevada Gold Corp. said its quarterly loss narrowed as it gained from warrants.
The Canadian dollar was fairly flat at 98.18 cents U.S.
Internationally, reports surfaced on Monday that Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is considering stepping down as leader, raising additional uncertainty in the country that many observers believe is teetering on the brink of a Greece-like failure over its high deficits.
U.S. stock index futures were down within an hour of markets opening, suggesting that stocks will fall at the start of trading. Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average were down 83 points or 0.7%. Futures for the broader S&P 500 were down 0.8%.
In Europe, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was down 0.6% and Germany's DAX index was down 0.4% in afternoon trading. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.4% in overnight trading, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.8%.
Commodities were mostly higher. Crude oil rose to $94.48 (U.S.) a barrel, up 0.2%. Gold rose to $1,768 U.S. an ounce, up 0.7%.
