Sept 18 (Reuters) - Stock futures pointed to a higher opening for Canada's main stock index on Tuesday as oil prices gained on signs that OPEC may not raise output to tackle lower supplies from Iran and Saudi Arabia signalled it was in no hurry to bring prices down.
September futures on the S&P/TSX index SXFc1 were up 0.28 percent at 6:55 a.m. ET.
Brent crude LCOc1 futures were up 98 cents a barrel to $79.03 a barrel at 1039 GMT, after hitting a high of $79.37. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 was up 83 cents at $69.74 per barrel, after rising over $1 to $69.95.
Later in the day, Statistics Canada would release its July factory sales data. Analysts in a Reuters poll forecast a milder 0.6 percent increase, compared with a 1.1 percent rise in the month before. Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX .GSPTSE rose 68.82 points, or 0.43 percent, to 16,082.31 on Monday. Jones Industrial Average e-mini futures 1YMc1 were up 0.20 percent at 6:55 a.m. ET, while S&P 500 e-mini futures ESc1 were up 0.18 percent and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures NQc1 were up 0.27 percent. .N
TOP STORIES TOP/CAN
Toshiba Corp 6502.T is in talks with Canada's Brookfield Asset Management Inc BAMa.TO for the potential sale of its UK nuclear unit NuGen, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday said she would return to Washington, this week for fresh talks on NAFTA as time is running very short to meet a U.S. demand for a deal by Oct. 1. Co KO.N is closely watching the fast-growing marijuana drinks market for a possible entry that would expand the world's largest soft drink maker's ambitions further away from sugary sodas. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS RCH/CA
Spin Master Corp TOY.TO Barclays (LON:BARC) starts coverage with overweight rating and C$65 price target
COMMODITIES AT 6:55 a.m. ET COM/WRAP
Gold futures GCc2 : $1,199.7; -0.17 pct GOL/
US crude CLc1 : $69.39; +1.24 pct O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 : $79.85; +1.26 pct O/R
U.S. ECONOMIC DATA DUE ON TUESDAY
1000 NAHB Housing Market Index for Sep: Expected 66; Prior 67
1600 Net L-T flows,exswaps for Jul: Prior -36.5 bln
1600 Foreign buying, T-bonds for Jul: Prior -48.6 bln
1600 Overall net capital flows for Jul: Prior 114.5 bln
1600 Net L-T flows, inclusion swaps for Jul: Prior -51.4 bln
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Reuters global stocks poll for Canada EQUITYPOLL1 EPOLL/CA
Canadian markets directory CANADA
($1= C$1.30)