Investing.com – Canada’s main stock index was lower on Tuesday, with investors eyeing a decline in prices and upcoming January inflation data.
The S&P/TSX composite index lost 0.53% at 32,898.36.
Index was closed on Monday for a holiday. On Friday, the average rose by 1.9% to 33,073.71, paring back some decreases earlier in the week. A cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation reading bolstered hopes for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, pushing up shares in the commodity-heavy TSX index.
But precious metals prices fell on Tuesday, with trading volumes thinned out by Lunar New Year holidays shuttering markets in several large Asian countries. Spot gold and both retreated, while the U.S. dollar strengthened.
Much of the focus is now impending Canadian inflation data, with economists expecting consumer prices in the country to have risen by 0.1% month-on-month and 2.4% year-over-year in January.
U.S. stocks subdued
U.S. stock index fell, with investors digesting key economic data and corporate earnings after returning from holiday.
The benchmark S&P 500 index was up 0.3% to 6,856.93 points, having fallen as much as 0.9% earlier. The tech-heavy was higher by 0.4% to 22,640.14 points, clawing back a fall of as much as 1.3%. The blue-chip gained 0.2% to 49,603.64 points.
The main averages on Wall Street were closed for a public holiday on Monday, but come off a losing week as investor concerns swirled around the impact of new artificial intelligence models on a range of industries. Worries also surrounded whether ongoing, heavy spending on AI infrastructure would lead to substantial returns for mega-cap tech sector names.
Fed minutes on tap this week
Investors are keeping a wary eye on a host of key economic indicators this week, as well as the minutes of the Fed’s January meeting, for more cues on the likely path of interest rates this year.
The Fed minutes are due on Wednesday, and come after the central bank left interest rates unchanged in its late-January meeting. Beyond the minutes, several Fed members are also set to speak in the coming days.
Also due on Wednesday is industrial production and durable goods data, while trade data for December is due on Thursday.
PCE price index data– the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge–arrives on Friday, and is likely to provide more definitive cues on interest rates.
Consumer price index inflation data for January was released late last week, and showed a mild cooling in the headline figure, while core CPI also eased in line with expectations, albeit slightly.
Palo Alto results due after the close
Quarterly corporate results will also be in the spotlight, with returns from due after the close of U.S. markets. This could shed some more light on the outlook for tech names facing fresh competition from just-released AI models.
The California-based cybersecurity firm lifted its full-year revenue and profit forecasts in November, citing a spike in demand for its digital security offerings to address online threats.
The group also announced a $3.35-billion purchase of cloud management and monitoring business Chronosphere and outlined plans to integrate the unit into its Cortex AgentiX platform. This would allow Palo Alto’s AI agents to utilize Chronosphere’s data to help detect performance issues and find root causes to problems.
DoorDash, and also share results later in the week.
Brent choppy with nuclear talks in focus
prices oscillated around the flatline, with the focus squarely on upcoming negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
Brent oil futures for April were last up 0.1% at $68.73 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude futures moved higher by 1.4% to $63.65 a barrel.
U.S. and Iranian ministers are set to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the Middle Eastern country’s nuclear enrichment activities.
The talks come amid heightened military tensions in the Middle East, as the U.S. mobilizes more of its forces in the region. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran if it does not accept a U.S. deal.
Gold declines
Gold prices fell on Tuesday, while silver also retreated, as metal markets remained on edge ahead of the U.S. economic indicators this week.
At 07:12 ET, spot gold dropped 1.1% to $4,937.25/oz and gold futures for April declined 1.8% to $4,955.96/oz.
Spot silver slid 2.0% to $75.1245/oz, while spot platinum inched up 0.1% to $2,022.78/oz.