May 2 (Reuters) - Futures for Canada's main stock index edged higher on Thursday, although oil prices fell in the wake of a surge in crude inventories of the United States.
June futures on the S&P/TSX index SXFc1 were up 0.15 percent at 7:00 a.m. ET.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX .GSPTSE fell 77.98 points, or 0.47 percent, to 16,502.75 on Wednesday. Jones Industrial Average e-mini futures 1YMc1 edged up 0.06 percent at 7:00 a.m. ET, while S&P 500 e-mini futures ESc1 were up 0.18 percent and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures NQc1 gained 0.28 percent. .N
TOP STORIES TOP/CAN
Bombardier Inc BBDb.TO said it would combine its corporate and regional jet units into a single aviation unit and shed more non-core assets by selling off its Belfast and Morocco aerostructures businesses. packaged meat producer Maple Leaf Foods Inc MFI.TO reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit, hit by higher costs as it invested more in new initiatives and capacity expansion. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS RCH/CA
CGI Group Inc GIBa.TO : Canaccord Genuity raises price target to C$106 from C$95
Gildan Activewear Inc GIL.TO : TD Securities raises price target to $40 from $38
Granite Oil Corp GXO.TO : Raymond James raises price target to C$2 from C$1.4
COMMODITIES AT 7:00 a.m. ET COM/WRAP
Gold futures GCc2 : $1,272.8; -0.89 percent GOL/
US crude CLc1 : $62.86; -1.16 percent O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 : $71.46; -1 percent O/R
U.S. ECONOMIC DATA DUE ON THURSDAY
0730 Challenger layoffs for April: Prior 60,587
0830 Initial jobless claims: Expected 215,000; Prior 230,000
0830 Jobless claims 4-week average : Prior 206,000
0830 Continued jobless claims: Expected 1.659 mln ; Prior 1.655 mln
0830 Labor costs preliminary for Q1: Expected 1.5 pct; Prior 2.0 pct
0830 Productivity preliminary for Q1: Expected 2.2 pct; Prior 1.9 pct
0945 ISM-New York Index for April: Prior 869.1
0945 ISM New York Business Conditions for April: Expected 66.7; Prior 66.9
1000 Durables ex-defense, R mm for March: Prior 2.3 pct
1000 Durable goods, R mm for March: Prior 2.7 pct
1000 Factory orders mm for March: Expected 1.5 pct; Prior -0.5 pct
1000 Durables ex-transport R mm for March: Prior 0.4 pct
1000 Nondefense cap ex-air R mm for March: Prior 1.3 pct
1000 Factory ex-transport mm for March: Prior 0.3 pct
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($1=C$1.34)