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The Before the Bell report is updated throughout the premarket to reflect the latest news developments and market moves. Check back later for updates. For the latest data on overseas markets, commodities and much more, click here for our market data page.

U.S. and Canadian stock futures are largely flatlined so far this morning, slipping slightly into the red after the release of economic data that was headlined by April inflation numbers for both countries.

The Canadian dollar fell more than a quarter of a cent after Canadian inflation data came in below forecasts and at the slowest annualized rate since 2013, which suggests there's little pressing need for the Bank of Canada to hike interest rates in the near term

It's a long weekend coming up in the U.S., which will likely mean a thinner-than-usual Friday trading session on Wall Street.

One notable mover in Canada so far this morning is BlackBerry, which announced plans for a share buyback after markets closed on Thursday. Shares are up 2.7 per cent in the premarket.

The TSX will be coming off its strongest session in two months on Thursday, when it gained 130.78 points, or nearly 1 percent, led by energy producers and health-care stocks. The S&P 500 closed at a record high. Market watchers are getting more nervous by the day that valuations are stretched to the limit, but are taking comfort in comments released this week from the U.S. Federal Reserve that it is no rush to hike interest rates given recent soft economic data.

In overseas markets, global stocks rose and bond yields fell on Friday, as investors shrugged off slowing global growth and focused instead on the continued stimulus provided by the world's major central banks.

Wall Street's record high on Thursday lifted Asian stocks on Friday, with investors across the world standing by to hear what speeches reveal later today from Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen and European Central Bank president Mario Draghi.

China's main index leapt nearly 3 per cent to a fresh 7-year high, rounding off a weekly gain of 8 per cent, its best week this year. Boosted by hopes of further central bank stimulus, it has risen 45 per cent in only six weeks.

European shares struggled to match that, but the leading index of European shares was still poised for its biggest gain in six weeks and Germany's DAX its best week since January.

Now here's a closer look at what's going on this morning and what is still to come.

Futures:

S&P 500 -0.1 per cent; Dow -0.1 per cent; Nasdaq -0.1 per cent

Equities:

Hong Kong's Hang Seng +1.71 per cent

Shanghai composite index +2.84 per cent

Japan's Nikkei +0.30 per cent

London's FTSE 100 +0.42 per cent

Germany's DAX -0.41 per cent

France's CAC 40 -0.19 per cent

Stoxx 600 -0.21 per cent

Commodities:

WTI crude oil (Nymex Jly) -0.91 per cent at $60.17 (U.S.) a barrel

Gold (Comex Jun) +0.66 per cent at $1,212.00 (U.S.) an ounce

Copper (Comex Jul) -0.90 per cent at $2.82 (U.S.) a pound

Currencies:

Canadian dollar at 81.54 (U.S.), down 0.0040

U.S. dollar index -0.29 at 94.95

Bonds:

U.S. 10-year Treasury yield 2.17 per cent, -0.76

ECONOMIC DATA:

U.S. consumer price index for April rose 0.1 per cent, matching Street expectations. Excluding food and energy, inflation rose 0.3 per cent vs. forecasts for a 0.2 per cent gain.

Canada consumer price index for April fell 0.1 per cent from March. Consensus was for an increase of 0.1 per cent from March. Canada core inflation was up 0.1 per cent vs. an estimated 0.2 per cent gain. Canada's annual inflation rate cooled to 0.8 per cent in April, making for the smallest increase since October 2013.

Canada retail sales for March rose 0.7 per cent from February. Consensus was for an increase of 0.3 per cent.

OTHER MARKET EVENTS:

(1 p.m. ET) Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen gives speech on the economic outlook to the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. She is expected to acknowledge the recent economic sluggishness, including near stagnant performance in the first few months of the year.

President Mario Draghi and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney speak today at the ECB Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal.

STOCKS TO WATCH:

BlackBerry shares are up 2.7 per cent in the premarket after announcing in the post market Thursday that it plans to buy back 12 million shares.

Deere reported Q2 EPS of $2.03 (U.S.) beat the Street expected $1.56. But revenue of $7.4-billion missed forecasts for $7.6-billion.

Campbell Soup reported adjusted earnings of 62 cents per share, with sales falling 3.6 per cent to $1.90 billion. Analysts on an average had expected earnings of 52 cents per share and revenue of $1.93 billion.

Other earnings today include: Foot Locker Inc.;

Expedia said it sold its entire stake in Chinese online travel company eLong Inc to rival Ctrip.com International Ltd and others for about $671 million.

ANALYST ACTIONS:

Canaccord Genuity added First Quantum Minerals to its "Focus List" - it's top investing ideas. It cut its price target to $21 (Canadian) from $22 due to a recent equity offering.

RBC Dominion Securities raised its price target on Netflix to $700 (U.S.) from $600 and maintained an "outperform" rating.

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With files from wire services

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