CANADA STOCKS-TSX futures slip as Middle East uncertainty weighs; payrolls in focus

TSX futures down 0.2%

Oil and gold prices slip

- Futures tracking Canada's blue-chip stocks edged lower on Friday as uncertainty over peace efforts in the Middle East weighed, while investors awaited a key payrolls report due later in the day.

June futures on the S&P/TSX index SXFcv1 were down 0.2% at 6:54 a.m. ET (1054 GMT).

  • Iran-backed Hezbollah militia rejected a new Lebanon ceasefire on Thursday while Israel said it would not withdraw troops, undermining U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to halt fighting there and forge peace with Tehran.

  • Brent crude prices were at $95 a barrel and looked set to end the week higher, as chances for a diplomatic resolution between the U.S. and Iran looked slim. O/R

  • Spot gold XAU= and silver XAG= fell 0.1% and 1.3%, respectively, on fears of higher inflation and elevated interest rates. GOL/

  • Canada's benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index .GSPTSE reached a record high on Thursday, led by financial and metal mining shares, as U.S. efforts for a Middle East peace deal bolstered investor sentiment.

  • The index was also on track for its third straight weekly gain, despite volatility in commodities due to the war and persistent fears of inflation and higher interest rates.

  • Canadian employment data, due today at 8:30 a.m. ET, is expected to show the economy adding 10,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate holding steady at 6.9%, its highest level since October.

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