Toronto's main stock index looked set to open lower on Friday as softer commodity prices and disappointing earnings from some major U.S. companies hurt sentiment.
Among Canadian stocks to watch, struggling oil sands developer Connacher Oil and Gas Ltd said its board initiated a strategic review of the company's business.
Grande Cache Coal said on Thursday its proposed $1-billion takeover is on track even though a research report alleged fraud at one of the acquiring companies.
The Canadian dollar dipped about 0.25 cents to 98.65 U.S. cents.
U.S. stock futures were slightly lower. Dow futures dipped 0.1%, or 11 points, to 12,576, while S&P 500 futures declined 3.9 points, or 0.3%, to 1,306.50. Nasdaq futures dipped a slight 0.5 points, or 0.02% to 2,424.75.
European stocks paused for breath after climbing for several days, with concerns over Greek debt and Chinese manufacturing dominating the market.
Miners led the losers on Britain's FTSE 100, which was flat overall. France's CAC 40 fell 0.5%, while Germany's DAX declined 0.3%
The market is still concerned about a Greek sovereign debt default as Athens negotiates terms of a debt restructuring with its private bondholders, who are being asked to agree to a 100-billion-euro ($129-billion U.S.) writedown.
In addition, international debt inspectors have arrived in Athens to assess whether Greece is taking enough steps to secure bailout funds. They will scrutinize Greece's public finances to make sure it is on track with painful austerity reforms.
The euro fell from a two-week high against the U.S. dollar, down 0.5% at $1.2903.
Investors were also examining a Chinese manufacturing survey for January. The HSBC flash manufacturing purchasing managers index stood at 48.8, little changed from a 48.7 reading in December. The reading was still below the 50 level, indicating a contraction.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index, however, jumped 1.5%, while the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong flourished 0.8%.
Copper fell, trading at $8,287.75 U.S. a tonne.
Gold slipped back below $1,650 U.S. an ounce, as gold futures for February delivery were down $8.00 an ounce at $1,646.70 U.S.
Crude oil declined 89 cents to $99.50 U.S. a barrel.
