March 18 (Reuters) - Futures pointed to a slightly higher
opening for Canadian stocks on Friday ahead of the annual
inflation and January retail data.
Canada's annual inflation rate is expected to have cooled to
1.5 percent, pulling away from the Bank of Canada's 2 percent
target and giving the central bank room to remain accommodative.
Data on Canadian retail sales in January will show how
consumers held up at the beginning of the year. Sales are
expected to have risen 0.6 percent, after a slump in December.
Inflation and retail sales data are due at 8:30 a.m. ET
ECONCA
June futures on the S&P TSX index SXFc1 were up 0.18
percent at 7:40 a.m. ET.
Canada's main stock index rose to a four-month high on
Thursday as higher oil prices supported energy stocks, while the
financial and industrial sectors also gained.
Dow Jones Industrial Average e-mini futures 1YMc2 were up
0.27 percent at 7:40 a.m. ET, while S&P 500 e-mini futures
Esc2 were up 0.28 percent and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures NQc2
were up 0.23 percent. .N
(Morning News Call newsletter http://link.reuters.com/nex49s;
The Day Ahead newsletter http://link.reuters.com/mex49s)
TOP STORIES TOP/CAN
Canada's BRP Inc DOO.TO , the maker of Ski-Doo snowmobiles
and Sea-Doo watercraft, swung to a quarterly loss, hurt by a
C$70 million impairment charge on its outboard engine assets.
Canada's Paramount Resources Ltd POU.TO agreed on Thursday
to sell a natural gas processing complex in the Montney shale
formation in Alberta to Pembina Pipeline Corp PPL.TO for C$556
million ($428 million) in cash. AT 7:40 a.m. ET COM/WRAP
Gold futures GCc2 : $1,255.00; -0.75 pct GOL/
US crude CLc1 : $40.91; +1.77 pct O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 : $42.30; +1.81 pct O/R
LME 3-month copper CMCU3 : $5,085.00; +0.31 pct MET/L
ANALYST RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS RCH/CA
Silver Wheaton Corp SLW.TO : Dundee raises target price to
C$28 from C$25
U.S. ECONOMIC DATA DUE ON FRIDAY
1000 U Mich Sentiment Preliminary for Mar: Expected 92.2;
Prior 91.7
1000 U Mich Conditions Preliminary for Mar: Expected 107.0;
Prior 106.8
1000 U Mich Expectations Preliminary for Mar: Expected 82.3;
Prior 81.9
1000 U Mich 1 year inflation preliminary for Mar: Prior 2.5
pct
1000 U Mich 5-year inflation preliminary for Mar: Prior 2.5
pct
1030 ECRI Weekly Index: Prior 131
1030 ECRI weekly annualized : Prior -3.1 pct
FOR CANADIAN MARKETS NEWS, CLICK ON CODES:
TSX market report .TO
Canadian dollar and bonds report CAD/ CA/
Reuters global stocks poll for Canada EQUITYPOLL1
EPOLL/CA
Canadian markets directory CANADA
($1= C$1.30)