Before the Bell: What every Canadian investor needs to know today

ShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountEquitiesGlobal markets were mixed as investors braced for a week packed with central bank meetings and corporate earnings, and also weighed a diplomatic impasse in U.S.-Iran negotiations.Wall Street futures diverged after the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq notched their latest in a series of record closing highs yesterday.TSX futures were little changed after Canada’s main stock index closed lower yesterday, pressured in part by gold prices. In Canada, investors are getting results from Aecon Group Inc. and Toromont Industries Ltd.On Wall Street, markets are watching earnings from Coca-Cola Co., Novartis AG, Visa Inc., T-Mobile US Inc., Corning Inc., Starbucks Corp., Spotify Technology Inc., United Parcel Service Inc. and BP PLC.“Inflation expectations have risen uncomfortably over the past two months, driven by a notable jump in energy prices,” Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote, wrote in a note. “At this stage, no one — including central bankers — can predict what comes next if Middle East tensions continue to disrupt energy flows.“What we do know is that the longer the Strait of Hormuz remains under strain, the stronger the impact on markets will be.” Overseas, the pan-European STOXX 600 edged up 0.06 per cent in morning trading. Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 0.22 per cent, Germany’s DAX climbed 0.13 per cent and France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.08 per cent.In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei closed 1.02 per cent lower, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.95 per cent. (function(t) { t.Hotline = t.Hotline || []; t.Hotline.push({ id: "9mn4j9a2", version: "1.3.1", period: "1D", series: [{"ticker":"TP*0","title":"TSX 60 futures","exchange":"Futures - MNTRL"},{"ticker":"YM*0","title":"Dow futures","exchange":"Futures - CBOTM"},{"ticker":"ES*0","title":"S&P 500 futures","exchange":"Futures - GBLX"}] }); var b = document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]; if (!b.classList.contains("gc-hotline-init")) { b.classList.add("gc-hotline-init"); var c = document.createElement('link'); var j = document.createElement('script'); c.href = 'https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/hotline/library/1.3.3/hotline.min.css?token=1.3.3-34'; c.rel = 'stylesheet'; j.src = 'https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/hotline/library/1.3.3/hotline.min.js?token=1.3.3-34'; j.async = true; j.defer = true; document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(c); document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(j); } })(this); CommoditiesOil prices extended gains as efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appear stalled, with the crucial Strait of Hormuz still mainly shut, keeping energy supplies from the key Middle East producing region out of the reach of global buyers. Brent crude futures for June climbed 2.37 per cent to US$110.80 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for June delivery rose 2. per cent to US$99.03 a barrel.“Talks around ‘peace’ still look largely superficial and lack concrete evidence of de-escalation. Despite the rhetoric, vessel movement through the Strait of Hormuz remains curtailed, and that prolonged disruption is what’s keeping oil risk premiums elevated,” said Phillip Nova’s senior market analyst Priyanka Sachdeva. In other commodities, spot gold was down 1.1 per cent to US$4,628.63 an ounce. U.S. gold futures for June delivery fell 1.1 per cent to US$4,642.90. (function(t) { t.Hotline = t.Hotline || []; t.Hotline.push({ id: "578j9mj5", version: "1.3.3",…

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