Canada Stocks: TSX futures ease as weaker oil, virus surge offset U.S. aid cheer

Pason Systems

15/01/2021 12:19

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index futures fell on
Friday, as weakness in oil prices and fears of tighter lockdowns
as coronavirus cases rise globally outweighed optimism around a
U.S. stimulus plan outlined by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden.
    U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude  CLc1  futures fell 1.34%
and Brent crude  LCOc1  futures shed 1.63%, amid prospect of
tighter lockdowns in Germany and France as well as new COVID-19
restrictions in China.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2JP29K urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2JQ017
    Biden outlined a $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package
proposal on Thursday, to jump-start the world's largest economy.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2JP30B
    March futures on the S&P/TSX index  SXFc1  were down 0.2% at
7:00 a.m. ET.
    The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index
 .GSPTSE  ended 0.18% higher at 17,966.47 on Thursday. 
    Dow Jones Industrial Average e-mini futures  1YMc1  were
down 0.43% at 7:00 a.m. ET, while S&P 500 e-mini futures  ESc1 
were down 0.42% and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures  NQc1  were down
0.31%.
     
    TOP STORIES  TOP/CAN 
    Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire expressed France's stiff
opposition to a possible near-$20 billion takeover of Carrefour
 CARR.PA  by Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard  ATDb.TO  on
Friday  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2JQ0IX
    
    ANALYST RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS  RCH/CA 
    Aphria Inc  APHA.TO : Canaccord Genuity raises to
"speculative buy" from "hold"
    Cenovus Energy Inc  CVE.TO : CIBC initiates coverage with
"outperformer" rating
    Pason Systems  PSI.TO : National Bank of Canada raises to
"outperform" from "sector perform"
    
    COMMODITIES AT 7:00 a.m. ET 
    Gold futures  GCc2 : $1850.8; -0.03%  GOL/ 
    US crude  CLc1 : $52.85; -1.34%  O/R 
    Brent crude  LCOc1 : $55.5; -1.63%  O/R 
    
    U.S. ECONOMIC DATA DUE ON FRIDAY
    U.S. retail sales data for December and manufacturing data
for January are due at 8:30 a.m. ET
    
    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$1.27)

 (Reporting by Amal S in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
 ((Amal.S@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S.+1 646 223 8780;
outside U.S. +91 80 6749 3677;))