Futures for Canada’s main stock index dipped on Friday, tracking losses in bullion prices, while investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of key domestic jobs data for clues on the pace and path of future interest rate hikes.

The TSX Composite gained 72.19 points to close Thursday’s session at 20,525.45.

December futures on the S&P/TSX index bowed 0.2%.

The Canadian dollar edged 0.02 cents to 74.43 cents U.S.

Canada’s largest pension fund CPP Investments is set to raise $372 million in its first “reverse inquiry” bond on Dec. 9, where lenders Royal Bank of Canada and CIBC would be the underwriters to the offer.

On the economic bulletin board, Statistics Canada said the economy created but 10,000 jobs in November, bringing the unemployment rate down 0.1 percentage points to 5.1%.

ON BAYSTREET

The TSX Venture Exchange gained 8.18 points, or 1.4%, Thursday to 599.18.

ON WALLSTREET

Stock futures dropped Friday as investors digested stronger than expected jobs data, which worried investors looking for signals that the Federal Reserve can slow interest rate hikes.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials dropped 65 points, or 0.2%, to 34,364.

Futures for the S&P 500 fell 5.75 points, or 0.1%, to 4,076.

Futures for the NASDAQ Composite subsided 28.5 points, or 0.2%, to 12,034.25.

Non-farm payrolls increased 263,000 in November, a gain larger than the 200,000 jobs expected by analysts polled by Dow Jones.

Friday’s is the final monthly employment report before the Federal Reserve’s two-day meeting on Dec. 13 and 14, in which the central bank is expected to raise its fed funds target rate by a half-percentage point. A 50-basis-point increase would mark a slowing from the prior 75-basis-point rate hikes set by the central bank.

Tesla shares were slightly higher in pre-market trading after CEO Elon Musk delivered the first Semi trucks to PepsiCo at an event on Thursday. The trucks were first unveiled in 2017 and originally due to be produced in 2019 but were delayed by the pandemic and other issues.

DoorDash shares fell 2.8% in pre-market trading after RBC Capital Markets downgraded the stock to “sector perform” from “outperform.” RBC praised the delivery service’s execution and management, but said it’s uncomfortable with the current valuation given the potential for order deceleration.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 shed 1.6% Friday, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index lost 0.3%.

Oil prices gained 70 cents to $81.92 U.S. a barrel.

Gold prices gave back $4.40 to $1,801.80 U.S. an ounce.