March 16 (Reuters) - Stock futures pointed to a slightly
lower opening for Canada's main stock index on Wednesday ahead
of the outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates
steady as it balances continued concerns about the health of the
global economy with fresh signs that domestic inflation is
starting to rear its head.
March futures on the S&P TSX index SXFc1 were down 0.03
percent at 7:15 a.m. ET.
Manufacturing sales and foreign securities data is due at
8:30 a.m. ET
Canada's main stock index fell on Tuesday as Valeant
Pharmaceuticals International Inc VRX.TO tanked, overshadowing
gains for gold miners and financials.
Dow Jones Industrial Average e-mini futures 1YMc1 were up
0.01 percent at 7:15 a.m. ET, while S&P 500 e-mini futures
Esc1 were down 0.01 percent and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures
NQc1 were up 0.05 percent.
TOP STORIES
Canada's Mitel Networks Corp MNW.TO is in talks to merge
with U.S. peer Polycom Inc PLCM.O , in a deal that would
combine the voice and telephony equipment providers and heed the
demands of hedge fund Elliott Management, sources said on
Tuesday.
COMMODITIES
AT 7:15 a.m. ET Gold futures GCc2 : $1,230.40; +0.00 pct
US crude CLc1 : $37.09; +2.04 pct
Brent crude LCOc1 : $39.40; +1.70 pct
LME 3-month copper CMCU3 : $4,957.00; +0.16 pct
ANALYST RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc ATDb.TO : CIBC cuts target
price to C$76 from C$82
Detour Gold Corp DGC.TO : Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) cuts ratings to
"neutral"
U.S. ECONOMIC DATA DUE ON WEDNESDAY
0830 Consumer Prices mm, SA for Feb: Expected -0.2 pct;
Prior 0.0 pct
0830 Consumer Prices yy, NSA for Feb: Expected 0.9 pct;
Prior 1.4 pct
0830 Core Consumer Prices mm, SA for Feb: Expected 0.2 pct;
Prior 0.3 pct
0830 Core Consumer Prices yy, NSA for Feb: Expected 2.2 pct;
Prior 2.2 pct
0830 Consumer Prices Index, NSA for Feb: Expected 236.89;
Prior 236.92
0830 Core Consumer Prices Index, SA for Feb: Prior 245.23
0830 Real weekly earnings mm for Feb: Prior 0.7 pct
0830 Building permits: number for Feb: Expected 1.200 mln;
Prior 1.204 mln
0830 Build permits: change mm for Feb: Prior 0.0 pct
0830 Housing starts number mm for Feb: Expected 1.150 mln;
Prior 1.099 mln
0830 House starts mm: change for Feb: Prior -3.8 pct
0915 Industrial output mm for Feb: Expected -0.3 pct; Prior
0.9 pct
0915 Capacity utilization mm for Feb: Expected 76.9 pct;
Prior 77.1 pct
0915 Manufacturing output mm for Feb: Expected 0.1 pct;
Prior 0.5 pct
1130 Cleveland Fed Consumer Prices for Feb: Prior 0.2 pct
1400 Fed funds target rate: Expected 0.375 pct; Prior 0.375
pct
($1= C$1.34)