Futures point to positive open for USA stock markets after Fed minutes

The company has been suffering scrutiny from the US lawmakers over its business practices, and its stock price has vapored almost 70 percent, when compared with its peak at 346.32 Canadian dollars on the closing bell of August 5.

Gold futures rose 1.1 percent to $1,080.9 an ounce, and copper prices advanced 0.1 percent to $4,615 a tonne.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 121.83 points, or 0.69 percent, at 17,854.58, the S&P 500 was up 11.54 points, or 0.55 per cent, at 2,092.78 and the Nasdaq Composite index was up 25.14 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 5,098.78.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up a scant 1.48 points at 13,475.31.

Financials rose 0.2 per cent, including a 1 per cent gain for Brookfield Asset Management Inc to $46.03.

Canadian stocks were little changed, as the best weekly gain since early October fizzled amid renewed selling in metals miners.

A deal announced last month saw the Quebec government invest a US$1 billion for a stake in the CSeries program.

Foot Locker earnings came in five cents above forecasts with adjusted quarterly profit of $1 per share.

Abercrombie & Fitch earned 37 cents USA per share for its latest quarter, well above estimates of 22 cents U.S. Revenue also beat estimates, and although Abercrombie’s same-store sales fell 1% during the quarter, that was smaller than the 2.3% drop anticipated by analysts.

On the commodity markets, the December gold contract gained US$12.90 at US$1,081.60, while the January crude oil contract lost 19 cents at US$41.76.