Investing.com - Futures linked to Canada’s main stock index ticked lower on Thursday, weighed down by elevated global bond yields, while investors also kept tab on choppy oil prices.

By 06:45 ET (10:45 GMT), S&P/TSX 60 index standard futures had fallen by 2 points, or 0.1%.

On Wednesday, the S&P/TSX composite average’s streak of five straight positive months came to an end, following a September marked by the bond sell-off, a Federal Reserve interest rate hike, and intensifying trade tensions between Canada and the U.S.

For the quarter, however, the index gained. It has now advanced for a record nine straight quarters.

U.S. futures tick higher

U.S. stock index futures inched higher in choppy trading on Thursday, as investors assessed earnings from chipmaker Micron and geared up for more key economic data this week.

By 06:57 ET, the Dow futures contract was mostly unchanged, S&P 500 futures had inched up by 26 points, or 0.4%, and Nasdaq 100 futures had increased by 237 points, or 0.8%.

Micron (NASDAQ: MU) posted stronger-than-expected fiscal fourth quarter earnings, with its current-quarter guidance also surpassing expectations. The company reported adjusted earnings of $33.42 per share, above expectations of $31.16. Micron also guided current quarter EPS at $38.15, plus or minus $1.00, above street estimates of $36.02.

But shares of the memory chip giant were hovering below the flatline in premarket U.S. trading. Micron flagged slightly softer gross margins in the current quarter, and also forecast higher operating expenses for fiscal 2027.

Still, Micron’s blowout earnings and guidance helped reinforce confidence in the AI trade, specifically that demand fueled by the technology will continue to underpin chipmaking and tech valuations in the coming quarters.

Concerns over the safety of AI sparked jitters around the rapid development of the technology, rattling tech stocks in September. Several major frontier labs, led by Claude-maker Anthropic, have called for a slowdown in AI development.

Global chipmaking stocks surged on Thursday, with majors in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan all clocking gains.

Elsewhere, quarterly earnings from athletic apparel giant Nike are due out after the closing bell, with investors keen for CEO Elliott Hill to show progress in his ongoing push to turnaround the brand. Shares of Nike have slumped by more than 44% so far this year.

Stocks close out "difficult" third quarter

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced, as a sustained rout in bond markets pushed Treasury yields higher.

U.S. Treasury yields once again rose, despite cooler-than-anticipated August personal consumption expenditures data sparking a brief surge of optimism around the path of inflation. Traders are now looking ahead to the release of key U.S. employment data for September, which could help outline the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate trajectory.

For the month, which has been marked by ongoing tensions in the Middle East and a deep bond-market rout, the S&P fell 0.45%, the Dow dropped 4.29%, and the Nasdaq gained 1.86%.

Both the Nasdaq and S&P managed to secure a second consecutive quarterly advance, and the fifth in the last six. Meanwhile, the Dow dipped in the July-September period.

"Q3 was a difficult one for markets, as the global economy grappled with a fresh inflationary impulse and the resumption of a globally synchronised rate hiking cycle," analysts at Deutsche Bank said in a note.

Oil prices climb

Oil prices marched higher, as traders weighed signs of recovering Middle East crude flows against uncertainty over diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East conflict.

Brent crude futures for December had risen 1.9% to $99.90 per barrel by 07:02 ET, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 1.3% to $91.57 a barrel.

The front-month Brent contract, which expired on Wednesday, settled at $103.50 in the previous session. Brent gained about 14% in September, its biggest monthly increase since July, while WTI rose about 5%.

Gold steadies

Gold prices stabilized, as investors gauged reduced expectations for another Fed interest-rate hike this month against elevated Treasury yields and a firmer dollar.

At 07:14 ET, spot gold had edged up by 0.3% to $4,169.92 an ounce, while gold futures had gained 0.3% to $4,199.15 an ounce.

The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of currency peers, was up 0.3% at 101.77. A stronger dollar can dent gold´s attractiveness by making the yellow metal more expensive for overseas buyers.

The climb in bond yields during the month also presented a possible headwind for bullion. Higher yields increase the opportunity cost of holding gold, which does not generate interest income.

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