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Investing.com - Canada’s main stock exchange edged slightly higher on Friday, as investors continued to study the outlook for U.S. trade policy during the new quarterly earnings season.
By 4.05 ET (10:30 GMT), the S&P/TSX 60 index standard futures contract had inched down by 7.95 points, or 0.49%.
Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX Composite index was up 0.09%, or 123 points, at 27,494.35.
Trade deals seen key; retail sales slump
Investors have been wading through a plethora of corporate earnings on Wall Street as well as sifting through talk of possible trade deals.
The week has seen the U.S. sign new deals with Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, adding to previously announced agreements with the U.K. and China.
And optimism is growing that the U.S. can sign an agreement with the European Union before the August 1 deadline.
Data released on Thursday showed that Canada’s retail sales shrank by 1.1% in May as consumers curtailed car purchases and spent less at supermarkets, convenience stores and on alcohol.
Retail sales had held up fairly strongly in the last two months, as concerns around the timing and magnitude of tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump brought forward purchases.
But sales weakened as the impact of tariffs started hitting consumers and the general outlook around the economy paled.
Intel disappoints with guidance
Almost 83% of the 155 S&P 500 companies that have reported to date beat Wall Street’s expectations, helping both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite record fresh all-time intraday and closing highs on Thursday.
One of the failures was Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), after the chipmaker said late Thursday that it expects steeper losses than Wall Street forecasts in the third quarter and announced plans to slash jobs.
The company plans to reduce headcount to 75,000 by the end of year, down 22% from the end of 2024, which will be through attrition and "other means".
Additionally, as part of an effort to improve capital efficiency, and cut down costs, Intel said it has ditched plans to build projects in Germany and Poland.
The company also said it would slow the pace of construction of its chip factory in Ohio "to ensure spending is aligned with market demand."
U.S. durable goods data due
Away from the corporate sector, U.S. durable goods orders for June are due later in the session, and are expected to fall sharply after the previous month’s hefty gains as companies prepared for possible tariffs.
Weaker-than-expected manufacturing purchasing managers index data, released on Thursday, sparked some concerns over the U.S. economy. The print showed manufacturing activity unexpectedly shrank in July, as momentum in the sector, amid front-running ahead of Trump’s tariffs, ran out of steam.
But overall business activity still grew, helped by strength in the services PMI.
The Federal Reserve meets next week, and although the U.S. central bank is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged any comments about the health of the largest economy in the world will be eagerly digested.
Crude down
Oil prices were down Friday following previous session’s sharp gains which were supported by hopes of more U.S. trade deals ahead of President Donald Trump’s nearing deadline.
At 12.05 ET, Brent futures was down 0.87% to $68.58 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 1.04% to $65.34 a barrel.
Both contracts jumped more than 1% on Thursday after data showed a sharp decline in U.S. crude inventories.
Gold dips on risk appetite
Gold prices fell Friday, pulling back further from recent five-week highs as optimism over U.S. trade deals dented haven demand.
At 12.05 ET, spot gold fell 1.2% to $3,328.24 an ounce, while gold futures fell 1.33% to $3,328.70/oz.
Precious metal prices were dented this week by improving risk appetite, as a U.S.-Japan trade deal and optimism over the potential for more agreements spurred buying into riskier instruments.