March 8 (Reuters) - Futures pointed to a lower open for Canada's main stock index on Friday, as oil prices dropped on global growth worries after China reported weak export data and the European Central Bank warned of continued weakness.
March futures on the S&P/TSX index SXFc1 were down 0.28 percent at 7:00 a.m. ET.
Housing starts data will be out at 8:15 a.m., while employment numbers are due to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET.
The Toronto Stock Exchange S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE ended 35.56 points, or 0.22 percent lower, at 16,056.51 on Thursday. Jones Industrial Average e-mini futures 1YMc1 were down 0.42 percent at 7:00 a.m. ET, while S&P 500 e-mini futures ESc1 were down 0.43 percent and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures NQc1 were down 0.52 percent. .N
TOP STORIES TOP/CAN
Oil sands producer MEG Energy Corp MEG.TO reported a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss on Thursday, as the company sold its bitumen crude at lower prices because of transportation bottlenecks. Gold Corp ABX.TO is having "constructive" talks with rival Newmont Mining Corp (NYSE:NEM) NEM.N about a possible joint venture in Nevada, Chief Executive Officer Mark Bristow told the CNBC television network on Thursday. Yamana Gold Inc YRI.TO , Glencore GLEN.L and Goldcorp Inc G.TO said on Thursday they signed an agreement to develop and operate Yamana's Agua Rica gold and copper mine in Argentina using infrastructure and facilities of the three companies' existing venture in the country. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS RCH/CA
Canadian Western Bank CWB.TO : RBC cuts rating to sector perform from outperform
Obsidian Energy Ltd OBE.TO : Canaccord Genuity cuts rating to hold from speculative buy
Paramount Resources POU.TO : National Bank of Canada cuts rating to sector perform from outperform
COMMODITIES AT 7:00 a.m. ET COM/WRAP
Gold futures GCc2 : $1,293.4; +0.57 pct GOL/
US crude CLc1 : $55.67; -1.75 pct O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 : $65.14; -1.75 pct O/R
U.S. ECONOMIC DATA DUE ON FRIDAY
0830 Non-farm payrolls for Feb: Expected 180,000; Prior 304,000
0830 Private payrolls for Feb: Expected 170,000; Prior 296,000
0830 Manufacturing payrolls for Feb: Expected 11,000; Prior 13,000
0830 Government payrolls for Feb: Prior 8,000
0830 Unemployment rate for Feb: Expected 3.9 pct; Prior 4.0 pct
0830 Average earnings mm for Feb: Expected 0.3 pct; Prior 0.1 pct
0830 Average earnings yy for Feb: Expected 3.3 pct; Prior 3.2 pct
0830 Average workweek hours for Feb: Expected 34.5 hrs; Prior 34.5 hrs
0830 Labor force partic for Feb: Prior 63.2 pct
0830 U6 underemployment for Feb: Prior 8.1 pct
0830 Building permits: number for Jan: Expected 1.289 mln; Prior 1.326 mln
0830 Housing starts number for Jan: Expected 1.197 mln; Prior 1.078 mln
0830 House starts mm: change for Jan: Prior -11.2 pct
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