Mar 17, 2025 (Baystreet.ca via COMTEX) --
Futures tied to Canada's main stock index dipped on Monday, tracking its Wall Street peers, while investors looked towards the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate decision later this week.
The TSX Composite Index jumped 350.17 points, or 1.5%, Friday to 24,553.02, but lost 205 points, or 0.8%.
Futures bowed 0.1% Monday.
The Canadian dollar inched higher 0.01 cents to 69.72 cents U.S. early Monday.
Focus is now on the U.S. Fed's interest rate decision on Wednesday. Traders widely expect the Fed to keep rates on hold, but they will look for policymakers' comments about the central bank's policy outlook amid concerns that economic growth could be hit by the trade war.
On the economic stage, Statistics Canada told us foreign investors acquired $7.9 billion of Canadian securities in January, led by the highest monthly investment in the Canadian bond market since April 2020.
Meanwhile, Canadian investors reduced their holdings of foreign securities by $3.2 billion, mainly of U.S. equity securities.
Housing starts totaled 229,000 in February, compared to 239,000 in the prior-year month.
Elsewhere, the Canadian Real Estate Association is scheduled to release MLS listing for February today.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 7.96 points to close Friday at 621.13. The gain on the week was 6.8 points, or 1.1%.
ON WALLSTREET
Stock futures fell early Monday as the struggles that plagued Wall Street last week continued.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials faltered 192 points, or 0.5%, to 41,658
Futures for the S&P 500 index faded 18.75 points, or 0.3%, to 5,673.50
Futures for the tech-heavy NASDAQ gave up 38 points, or 0.2%, to 19,881.50.
Wall Street is coming off another brutal week for equities. The NASDAQ sank deeper into correction territory last week. The S&P 500 briefly dipped into a correction as well, before snapping back above that level. The Dow had its biggest one-week drop since 2023, losing 4.4%.
Those moves come as investors struggle to keep pace with President Donald Trump's fast-changing tariff policies, on top of growing signs of economic weakness, that have put markets in a tailspin. The uncertainty has many wondering whether the stock market correction could turn into a bear market.
Wall Street is headed for a big markets week. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady at the conclusion of its latest policy meeting Wednesday. However, Chair Jerome Powell's post-meeting comments will be monitored closely for any changes in tone, after Powell repeated earlier this year the central bank is in "no hurry" to lower interest rates.
Investors will be parsing through the upcoming economic data for any signs of an economic slowdown. The U.S. retail sales report set to release Monday will give insight into the state of the consumer. Economists polled by Dow Jones expect retail sales to have increased 0.6% in February.
Netflix advanced 1.5% on the back of MoffettNathanson's upgrade to buy from neutral. The firm said Netflix can monetize more than previously expected, in turn growing profit.
Incyte fell more than 14% after the release of phase three trial data for a skin condition treatment. Incyte said that the trials of its drug met the primary endpoints. However, the drug was effective for less than half of the participants who took it in the trials.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.9% Monday, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng prospered 0.8%.
Oil prices added 86 cents to $68.04 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices dropped $4.90 to $2,996.20 U.S. an ounce.
COMTEX_463688748/2559/2025-03-17T08:57:18
