Canada’s main index futures rose on Friday, as oil prices jumped on reports of missile attacks on an Iranian tanker in the Red Sea near Saudi Arabia.
The TSX Composite Index ended Thursday with gains of 42.81 points to 16,422.68
The Canadian dollar inched up 0.04 cents to 75.28 cents U.S. early Friday
December futures skyrocketed 0.8% early Friday.
Iranian media and officials reported that a state-owned oil tanker was hit by two missiles in the Red Sea near Saudi Arabia, raising the prospect of supply disruptions from a crucial producing region.
Markets in Canada are closed Monday for Thanksgiving.
Jefferies cut the target price on Aurora Cannabis to $7.00 from $14.00
National Bank of Canada raised the target price on BRP Inc, to $58.00 from $51.00
Jefferies raised the rating on Hexo Corp. to hold from underperform.
On the economic front, Statistics Canada said the economy created 54,000 jobs in September, most of them full-time, bringing the unemployment rate down 0.2 percentage points to 5.5%.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange dropped 7.96 points Thursday to 542.64
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stock futures were solidly higher Friday as traders grew more optimistic over the possibility of a limited trade deal between China and the U.S.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials bulged 281 points, or 1.1%, early Friday at 26,765
Futures for the S&P 500 gained 31.25 points, or 1.1%, at 2,972.25
NASDAQ Composite climbed 91 points, or 1.2%, to 7,850.50
Big tech shares such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google-parent Alphabet all gained more than 1% in the premarket. Bank stocks also gained steam as Bank of America and J.P. Morgan Chase rose more than 1% each.
Chipmakers rose broadly. Micron Technology gained more than 2% before the bell while Skyworks Solutions advanced 1.9%.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that talks between the two countries were going “really well.” His comments came after he tweeted that he would meet with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at the White House on Friday. The meeting is scheduled to take place at 2:45 p.m. ET.
On the data front, import prices for September will be released at around 8:30 a.m. ET, with consumer sentiment figures for October set to follow slightly later in the session.
Overseas, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 1.2% Friday, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng jumped 2.3%.
Oil prices moved higher 79 cents to $54.34 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices settled $15.50 to $1,485.40 U.S. an ounce.
