(No Canadian markets report on Dec 25 due to Christmas holiday)
Dec 24 (Reuters) - Futures for Canada's main stock index rose on Thursday tracking gains on the Wall Street, helped by higher bullion prices, while further gains were capped by weakness in oil prices.
Spot gold .XAU= gained 0.21% on a weaker dollar, ahead of a widely expected Brexit trade deal and on uncertainties around a mutant variant of the coronavirus.
March futures on the S&P/TSX index SXFc1 were up 0.15% at 7:00 a.m. ET.
Data of Canada's building permits for November is due at 8:30 a.m. ET
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE ended 0.28% higher at 17,601.38 on Wednesday.
Dow Jones Industrial Average e-mini futures 1YMc1 were up 0.18% at 7:00 a.m. ET, while S&P 500 e-mini futures ESc1 were up 0.2% and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures NQc1 were up 0.16%.
TOP STORIES TOP/CAN
Great Canadian Gaming Corp GC.TO said on Wednesday its shareholders had voted in favor of a sweetened deal that would see Apollo Global Management Inc APO.N buy the Canadian casino operator for C$2.52 billion ($1.96 billion). RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS RCH/CA
Cineplex Inc CGX.TO : Canaccord Genuity raises target price to C$8.50 from C$7
NFI Group Inc NFI.TO : TD Securities raises target price to C$26 from C$16
Shawcor Ltd SCL.TO : National Bank of Canada raises to "outperform" from "sector perform"
COMMODITIES AT 7:00 a.m. ET
Gold futures GCc2 : $1877; +0.07% GOL/
US crude CLc1 : $47.83; -0.6% O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 : $50.91; -0.57% O/R
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Canadian markets directory CANADA ($1= C$1.28)