Futures for Canada's main stock index were subdued on Thursday, as investors assessed the impact of the U.S. administration's shifting positions on tariffs.
The TSX Composite Index held onto 166.7 points worth of gains to close Wednesday at 24,472.68.
June futures were down 0.01% Thursday.
The Canadian dollar inched up 0.08 cents to 72.15 cents U.S.
On the company front, Teck Resources beat first-quarter expectations, helped by higher commodity prices and copper sales volumes.
On the economic agenda, Statistics Canada reports the number of employees receiving pay and benefits from their employer—measured as "payroll employment" in the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours—decreased by 49,000 (-0.3%) in February, following an increase of 14,400 (+0.1%) in January. On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment was up 124,300 (+0.7%) in February.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange regained 4.03 points Wednesday to 635.43.
ON WALLSTREET
Stock futures slipped Thursday after the major averages posted a second straight winning day.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials slid 171 points, or 0.4% to 38,604.
Futures for the S&P 500 index ditched 5.5 points, or 0.1%, to 5,396.25
Futures for the NASDAQ Composite eked higher 21 points, or 0.1%, to 18,825.
All three of the major averages are on pace for weekly gains, with the NASDAQ up 2.6% and the S&P 500 up nearly 1.8%. The Dow is on pace for a 1.2% advance in the period.
International Business Machines slumped more than 7%. The company posted better-than-anticipated earnings and revenue for the first quarter, but maintained its full-year guidance. Southwest Airlines lost 4% after the company said it plans to cut its schedule in the second half of this year and pulled its guidance for earnings before interest and taxes in 2025 and 2026.
On Thursday, investors will look for quarterly earnings reports from Alphabet, Intel and PepsiCo. On the economic data front, durable goods orders and weekly jobless claims are due in the morning.
Stocks seemed to get a lift on hopes that trade tensions between the U.S. and China would ease. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said he is willing to take a less confrontational approach toward trade talks with Beijing.
Further, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the U.S. has the “opportunity for a big deal” on trade. Chinese imports are subject to a U.S. tariff of 145%.
However, China said overnight that there were no trade talks taking place with the U.S., calling for the cancelation of “unilateral” tariffs.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index gained 0.5% Thursday, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng fell back 0.7%.
Oil prices captured 82 cents to $63.09 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices towered $56.90 to $3,351 U.S. an ounce.
