Producer prices data is due at 8:30 a.m. ET. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index finished lower on Friday in a retreat led by financial stocks and by energy companies, which were pulled down by a sharp fall in crude prices. Dow Jones Industrial Average e-mini futures were up 0.56 percent at 7.30 a.m. ET, while S&P 500 e-mini futures were up 0.49 percent and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures were up 0.66 percent. (Morning News Call newsletter http://link.reuters.com/nex49s; The Day Ahead newsletter http://link.reuters.com/mex49s) TOP STORIES Health insurer UnitedHealth Group unit OptumRx Corp agreed to buy pharmacy benefit manager Catamaran Corp in a deal worth about $12.8 billion. Barrick Gold Corp, which last year implemented a new executive compensation plan after an outcry from shareholders, paid Executive Chairman John Thornton $12.9 million in 2014, a third more than in 2013. COMMODITIES AT 7.15 a.m. ET Gold futures : $1,182.90; -1.41 pct US crude : $48.15; -1.51 pct Brent crude : $55.80; -1.08 pct LME 3-month copper : $6,089; +0.56 pct ANALYST RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Calfrac Well Services : Canaccord Genuity cuts price target to C$11 from C$12; rating "hold" Entrec Corp : Canaccord Genuity cuts target price to C$0.60 from C$0.70; rating "hold" Strongco : Raymond James cuts price target to C$2.30 from C$2.50; rating "market perform" U.S. ECONOMIC DATA DUE ON MONDAY 0830 Personal consumption real mm for Feb: Prior 0.3 pct 0830 Personal income mm for Feb: Expected 0.3 pct; Prior 0.3 pct 0830 Consumption, adjusted mm for Feb: Expected 0.2 pct; Prior -0.2 pct 0830 Core PCE Price Index mm for Feb: Expected 0.1 pct; Prior 0.1 pct 0830 Core PCE Price Index yy for Feb: Prior 1.3 pct 0830 PCE Price Index mm for Feb: Prior -0.5 pct 0830 PCE Price Index yy for Feb: Prior 0.2 pct 1000 Pending Homes Index for Feb: Prior 104.2 1000 Pending sales change mm for Feb: Expected 0.4 pct; Prior 1.7 pct 1030 Dallas Fed Manufacturing Bus Index for Mar: Prior -11.20 1300 Dallas Fed PCE for Feb: Prior -0.3 pct FOR CANADIAN MARKETS NEWS, CLICK ON CODES: TSX market report Canadian dollar and bonds report Reuters global stocks poll for Canada Canadian markets directory ($1= C$1.26) (Reporting By Nikhil Kumar in Bangalore)
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