Market Open logo. (Source: Stockhouse. Edited with Google Gemini)

The TSX is down 0.45% while the TSX Venture Index is down 1.23%, as Canadian markets continue to face selling pressure tied to surging oil prices and deepening geopolitical instability across global shipping lanes. U.S. equity futures weakened before the open as crude briefly spiked back above US$100, with the Dow falling 0.83% and the FTSE 100 down 0.36%. The Nasdaq managed to stabilize, rising 0.01%, as traders selectively re‑entered AI‑linked names despite broader risk aversion.

Energy markets remain the central force driving sentiment. Crude rose more than 2.5% after multiple shipping attacks escalated conflict‑driven supply fears, while natural gas slipped nearly 1%. Gold held almost flat, dipping just 0.01% as the U.S. dollar remained firm, and copper pulled back following a volatile start to the week. Bitcoin edged slightly higher, up 0.06% in CAD terms, though crypto traders remain cautious in the face of fresh war‑related market jitters.

Market numbers

TSX: Down (‑0.45%), 33,119.83

TSXV: Down (‑1.23%), 1,076.16

DOW: Down (‑0.83%), 46,957.9

NASDAQ: Up (+0.01%), 24,771.7

FTSE 100: Down (‑0.36%), 10,302.02

In the headlines

  • Nebius rallies on US$2B Nvidia investment: Nebius (NDAQ:NBIS) — an AI cloud‑infrastructure platform focused on high‑performance compute — surged 16% after Nvidia injected US$2 billion into its Neocloud division. The deal strengthens Nebius’s AI hardware capacity and deepens its connection to Nvidia’s expanding data‑center ecosystem.
  • Empire posts Q3 loss despite stronger sales: Empire Company (TSX:EMP.A) — the owner of Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland, IGA, and Voilà — reported a $385‑million third‑quarter loss, driven by impairment and restructuring charges linked to digital modernization. Sales rose year‑over‑year, supported by continued consumer demand across its grocery banners.

Currencies

USD: Down (‑0.10%), $0.7347

GBP: Up (+0.13%), $0.5489

EUR: Up (+0.19%), $0.63732

JPY: Down (‑0.09%), ¥116.856

AUD: Up (+0.35%), $1.0320

Bitcoin (BTC/CAD): Up (+0.06%), 95,659.5

(Conversion to C$1)

Commodities

Copper: Down (‑0.55%), 5.88856

Gold: Down (‑0.01%), 5,176.16

WTI Crude: Up (+2.56%), 88.20

Natural Gas: Down (‑0.89%), 3.229

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