(Reuters) – Futures for Canada’s main stock index slid on Friday as the escalating Russia-Ukraine war kept investors on the edge, although the benchmark index was on track for its second consecutive week of gains.
March futures on the S&P/TSX index were down 0.9% at 7:00 a.m. ET.
Reports of a fire near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, following fighting with Russian forces, added to worries about the escalating conflict.
Although further losses were capped by strength in oil prices as fears over disruption to Russian oil exports in the face of Western sanctions offset the prospect of more Iranian supplies. [O/R]
Canada’s building permit data for January is due at 8:30 a.m. ET
The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index ended 0.02% lower at 21,250.41 on Thursday. [.TO]
The benchmark index up 0.7% so far this week, was on track for its second straight weekly gains, as stronger commodity prices helped the index counter the global risk-off sentiment.
Dow e-minis were down 265 points, or 0.79%, at 7:00 a.m. ET, while S&P 500 e-minis were down 34.75 points, or 0.8%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 103.25 points, or 0.74%. [.N]
ANALYST RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS [RCH/CA]
Hexo Corp: ATB Capital Markets raises to “sector perform” from “underperform”
Park Lawn Corp: RBC raises target price to C$53 from C$50
Toronto-Dominion Bank: Canaccord Genuity cuts PT to C$106 from C$110.50
COMMODITIES AT 7:00 a.m. ET
Gold futures: $1949; +0.68% [GOL/]
US crude: $110.05; +2.21% [O/R]
Brent crude: $112.43; +1.7% [O/R]
U.S. ECONOMIC DATA DUE ON FRIDAY
0830 Non-farm payrolls for Feb: Expected 400,000; Prior 467,000
0830 Private payrolls for Feb: Expected 378,000; Prior 444,000
0830 Manufacturing payrolls for Feb: Expected 23,000; Prior 13,000
0830 Government payrolls for Feb: Prior 23,000
0830 Unemployment rate for Feb: Expected 3.9%; Prior 4.0%
0830 Average earnings mm for Feb: Expected 0.5%; Prior 0.7%
0830 Average earnings yy for Feb: Expected 5.8%; Prior 5.7%
0830 Average workweek hours for Feb: Expected 34.6 hrs; Prior 34.5 hrs
0830 Labor force partic for Feb: Prior 62.2%
0830 U6 underemployment for Feb: Prior 7.1%
FOR CANADIAN MARKETS NEWS, CLICK ON CODES:
TSX market report [.TO]
Canadian dollar and bonds report [CAD/] [CA/]
Reuters global stocks poll for Canada
Canadian markets directory
($1= C$1.27)
(Reporting by Amal S in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
