Stock futures pointed to a higher opening for Canada's main stock index on Thursday on data on the country's economic growth.
The S&P/TSX Composite vaulted 194.05 points, or 1.4%, to close Wednesday at 14,036.74. September futures moved up 0.2% Thursday morning.
The Canadian dollar dipped 0.12 cents to 77.2 cents early Thursday.
Markets in Toronto are closed Friday for Canada Day.
Bombardier will soon get the certification of the larger of its CSeries jet family, after delivering its first 110-seater CS100 plane, the smaller model, to Swiss International Airlines.
Laurentian Bank of Canada said it would buy CIT Group Inc's Canadian equipment financing and corporate financing business, a portfolio worth about $1 billion
BMO raised the rating on Baytex Energy to market perform from underperform
RBC cut the price target on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce to $104.00 from $106.00
It’s a busy day on the economic slate, with average weekly earnings reported by Statistics Canada for April at $956.00 in April, down 0.3% from the month before and 0.2% from 12 months earlier.
The agency also reported its industrial product price index progressed 1.1%, in May, mostly due to higher energy prices, while its raw materials price index rose 6.7% in the same month, also due to higher energy prices.
Finally, gross domestic product edged up 0.1% in April, after falling in February and March. Gains, notably in manufacturing, utilities and the public sector were largely offset by sharp drops in non-conventional oil extraction.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange prospered 13.85 points, or nearly 2%, to finish Wednesday at 721.10
ON WALLSTREET
Futures were unchanged to slightly lower before Thursday’s open, as world markets ponder their next move while the European Union readies for a pullout of Britain.
Ahead of the opening bell, futures for the Dow Jones Industrials sank four points to 17,620, while futures for the S&P 500 slipped 1.25 points, or 0.1%, to 2,042.25. NASDAQ futures fell 5.75 points, or 0.1%, to 4,357.
Ahead of the opening bell, investors will get quarterly updates from companies including Slim Jim maker ConAgra, Corona brewer Constellation Brands, Olive Garden parent Darden Restaurants and McCormick.
Micron will report after the close.
In Europe, the blue chip FTSE 100 is back to pre-referendum levels, but the FTSE 250 is still way down. The wider index is more exposed to the British economy and gives a better sense of how investors view the U.K.
The pound is firmer against the U.S. dollar at around $1.34, but still about 10% off the high of $1.50 on referendum day.
European markets, elsewhere, are mixed in early trading. Germany's DAX and French CAC are gaining around 0.3%.
Asian markets ended the session slightly higher. The Nikkei was up 0.1% and the yen remains close to all time highs. Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 1.75% higher.
Oil prices faded 96 cents to $48.92 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices dropped $5.30 to $1,321.60 U.S. an ounce.
