Futures for Canada's main stock index were muted on Thursday, as a jump in oil prices were offset by shaky metal prices, while investors braced for more economic data.
The TSX Composite Index tumbled 120.17 points Wednesday to 19,435.98.
September futures were flat Thursday.
The Canadian dollar inched up 0.06 cents to 74.12 cents U.S.
In company news, Pipestone Energy shareholders on Wednesday voted in favor of the proposed sale to privately held larger rival Strathcona Resources in an all-stock deal that would value the combined company at $8.6 billion.
On the economic slate, Statistics Canada reported the number of employees receiving pay and benefits from their employer—measured as "payroll employment" in the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours—was little changed (+4,900) in July, following an increase of 65,900 (+0.4%) in June.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange dipped 7.04 points, or 1.3%, Wednesday to 550.01.
ON WALLSTREET
S&P 500 futures edged slightly higher on Thursday as investors readied for the final trading days of what’s shaping up to be a weak month and quarter.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials gained 45 points, or 0.2%, to 33,836.
Futures for the S&P 500 gathered 3.5 points, or 0.1%, at 4,317.
Futures for the NASDAQ scaled back 11 points, or 0.1%, to 14,762.
Micron Technology slid more than 4% after offering weak earnings guidance for the current quarter. Peloton Interactive jumped more than 13% following news that the company was entering a five-year partnership to make content for Lululemon.
The moves follow a mixed session on Wall Street. The S&P 500 nosed ahead 0.02% and NASDAQ Composite added 0.2%, while the Dow finished 0.2% lower. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield hit a level not seen in more than 15 years in the session, pressuring equities. The benchmark rate rose again Thursday, trading around 4.64%.
Investors will watch for economic data on jobless claims, home sales and the GDP on Thursday, before turning attention to the latest personal consumption expenditures price index reading due Friday. The PCE reading is the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation metric.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 fell 1.5% Thursday, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng backtracked 1.4%
Oil prices lost 38 cents to $93.30 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices gained $2.40 to $1,893.00 U.S. an ounce.
