Futures tied to Canada’s main equity benchmark pointed modestly higher on Monday as renewed strength in precious metals underpinned mining sector gains and helped Canadian technology names claw back some ground lost during earlier AI-related selling.
At 07:26 (12:26 GMT), S&P/TSX 60 index standard futures were up 3 points, or 0.1%.
On Friday the broader S&P/TSX composite index rallied 1.49% to close at 32,470.98 points, supported in part by a rebound in gold following a sharp recent slide. That improvement in bullion also coincided with a partial recovery among Canadian tech stocks, which had been weighed down by a wider selloff in U.S. software names earlier in the week that was tied to AI-related concerns.
U.S. futures and recent U.S. session
Across the border, U.S. stock futures were trading marginally lower as the market entered a week crowded with delayed economic releases and another round of corporate results.
- Dow Jones futures were last trading 33 points, or 0.1%, lower.
- S&P 500 futures had slipped 8 points, or 0.1%.
- Nasdaq 100 futures fell 66 points, or 0.3%.
Despite the softer futures, the main U.S. averages had finished the prior session with solid gains, trimming some of the AI-inspired losses seen earlier in the week. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average moved above the 50,000 level for the first time ever, the S&P 500 climbed nearly 2%, and the NASDAQ Composite rose roughly 2.2%.
Earnings flow and technology sector dynamics
The late-week bounce was driven largely by advances among chipmakers and AI-related equities, groups that had absorbed the greatest selling pressure in recent days. Market participants earlier rotated out of high-growth technology names amid worries that rapid developments in AI could disrupt existing software business models and squeeze profit margins.
Investors will have additional corporate results to parse this week. Consumer goods giant Coca-Cola Co and automaker Ford Motor Company are among the larger companies scheduled to report quarterly earnings. On Monday, semiconductor firm ON Semiconductor (NASDAQ:ON) is one of the more notable names on the calendar.
ON Semiconductor previously provided an outlook for its fourth-quarter revenue and profit that was broadly in line with market expectations. The company has been able to offset some weakness in automotive demand for its silicon carbide chips - which has been dampened by tepid electric vehicle demand in North America and Europe - with strength in a business that helps manage power consumption at AI data centers.
Other technology-related quarterly reports due this week include Datadog, Spotify, Cisco, and Applied Materials.
Key U.S. economic releases
Beyond corporate results, the U.S. economic calendar this week contains data that had been delayed by a brief government shutdown. The closely watched January U.S. employment report - originally slated for last week - has been rescheduled for Wednesday.
Last week, a private-sector employment report showed weaker-than-expected job growth, adding to debate over whether the labor market’s hiring momentum is beginning to slow after several months of resilience.
The January consumer price index is due on Friday and will be carefully watched for signs that inflationary pressures are easing enough to give the Federal Reserve leeway to contemplate rate cuts later in the year.
Commodities update: precious metals and crude oil
Precious metals posted gains in European trade. Spot gold rose 0.7% to $4,996.29 an ounce, while gold futures for April were up 0.7% at $5,016.01 per ounce. Silver also advanced, with spot silver up 2.2% to $78.615 per ounce, moving further away from lows close to $60 per ounce touched last week.
Metal markets had experienced volatile swings in the prior session, driven by subdued haven demand, profit-taking, and uncertainty over the direction of U.S. monetary policy.
Crude oil steadied after recent losses as signals mounted that diplomatic channels between the U.S. and Iran would remain open. Brent oil futures gained 0.2% to $68.21 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate futures rose 0.3% to $63.73 a barrel.
Officials in Washington and Tehran said over the weekend that indirect talks over Tehran’s nuclear program would continue following what both described as positive discussions held in Oman on Friday. The comments helped reduce fears of an imminent military confrontation in the Middle East, a concern that had been heightened earlier in the year when the U.S. deployed several warships to the region.
Research and screening note
Separately, an AI-driven stock selection tool called ProPicks AI evaluates publicly traded companies across numerous financial metrics each month, identifying names that the model views as offering favorable risk-reward opportunities. The tool highlighted past winners such as Super Micro Computer (+185%) and AppLovin (+157%) and also assesses firms like ON Semiconductor for potential inclusion in its strategies.
The market enters this week with a mix of fresh company data and key macro prints that could shape investor expectations for interest rates, technology earnings, and commodity prices.