TSX futures down as Trump’s Strait of Hormuz deadline extension brings little relief

The Toronto Stock Exchange.

Futures tied to Canada’s main stock index edged lower on Friday as uncertainty around a resolution to the Middle ​East conflict kept investors on edge, though gains in ‌oil and gold prices capped losses in the resource-heavy market.

June futures on the S&P/TSX Composite Index were down 0.2 per cent as of 06:26 a.m. ​ET (1026 GMT).

U.S. President Donald Trump extended his deadline for ​Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to April 6, ⁠after which he has said the Middle Eastern country ​will face attacks on its energy infrastructure.

Oil prices pushed higher ​on Friday as investors remained doubtful that the two sides would reach an agreement.

Gold rose, supported by dollar weakness and value buying, but was ​set for a fourth straight week of declines as rising ​energy prices heightened inflation fears and fueled expectations of interest-rate hikes globally.

The Bank ‌of ⁠Canada on Thursday warned it faces “a tough job” navigating structural shifts that will permanently reshape the country’s economic landscape, with Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers saying the next five years could prove as turbulent as ​the last.

Traders expect ​the Bank ⁠of Canada to keep rates unchanged at its April meeting, while pricing in nearly ​three hikes by the end of the year, ​LSEG ⁠data shows.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index, opens new tab closed in negative territory on Thursday, erasing some of the week’s earlier gains, and was poised to end March ⁠7.1 per cent ​lower.