Top News Before the Bell Stocks To
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TOP NEWS • Thousands of Canadian National Railway workers go on strike About 3,000 workers of Canadian National Railway, the country's largest railroad operator, went on strike, labor union Teamsters Canada said after both parties failed to resolve contract issues. • EXCLUSIVE-Mine workers demanded more protection before deadly Burkina Faso attack Five months before an ambush killed 39 colleagues, local workers at a Canadian-owned gold mine in Burkina Faso pleaded with managers to fly them to the site rather than go by a road that was prone to attacks, two people present at the meeting said. • Keystone operator TC Energy sees EBITDA exceeding C$10 billion in 2022 Canada's TC Energy said it expects comparable earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to exceed C$10 billion in 2022, driven by long-term contracts and assets. • Trump's "Section 232" autos tariff authority runs out of time, experts say The clock has run out on President Donald Trump's authority to impose "Section 232" tariffs on imports of foreign-made cars and auto parts, and he may have to find other means if he wants to pursue tariffs on European or Japanese cars, legal experts say. • Sales of grounded Boeing 737 MAX gather pace at Dubai Airshow Boeing's 737 MAX took centre stage at the Dubai Airshow as airlines announced plans to order up to 50 of the jets worth $6 billion at list prices despite a global grounding in place since March. BEFORE THE BELL Canada's main stock index futures gained, mirroring Wall Street futures, on fresh hopes over the progress in trade talks between the U.S. and China. European equities were up, boosted by gains in growth-dependent cyclical stocks. Asian shares mostly ended in the positive territory. The dollar index was little changed, while gold prices were in the red. Oil extended losses, weighed down by higher than expected Norwegian oil output and forecasts of rising U.S. crude inventories. STOCKS TO WATCH • Canadian National Railway Co (CNR). About 3,000 workers of the country's largest railroad operator went on strike, labor union Teamsters Canada said after both parties failed to resolve contract issues. "Conductors, trainperson and yard workers at Canadian National Railway are now officially on strike," the union said in a tweet. Teamsters Canada spokesman Christopher Monette had said on Monday the strike comes because workers are "hitting a wall on issues related to health and safety". The labor union's Facebook account also shared pictures of dozens of CN workers carrying placards in support of the strike on the streets of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. • Semafo Inc (SMF). Five months before an ambush killed 39 colleagues, local workers at a Canadian-owned gold mine in Burkina Faso pleaded with managers to fly them to the site rather than go by a road that was prone to attacks, two people present at the meeting said. The employees wanted the same protections as expatriate staff who had been flying to the mine in helicopters since three workers were killed in two earlier attacks in August 2018. Shortly after those deaths, the mine's owner, Quebec-based Semafo, said it had added a military escort to bus convoys taken by Burkinabe workers to the site each week. But local employees of Semafo and its Accra-based contractor African Mining Services (AMS) did not think it was enough in an area notorious for bandits and jihadists. The local employees at AMS expressed their fears at a June meeting attended by four miners representing the local workforce, an AMS manager and two AMS human resources representatives, according to two workers who attended. AMS and its parent company, Australia-based Perenti Global, did not comment on the meeting, or whether employees' concerns were relayed to Semafo. Semafo did not have a representative at the meeting, the sources said. • Restaurant Brands International Inc (QSR). U.S. fried chicken chain Popeyes wants to become the top chicken brand in China, the chief executive of its parent company said, as it prepares to take on KFC, the no.1 player in the world's most populous market. Popeyes signed a lease in Shanghai for its first store in China on Monday, which is slated to open next year. The company outlined plans in July to build 1,500 restaurants in China in the coming decade, becoming the last of Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International's main brands to enter the country. • TC Energy Corp (TRP). The company said it expects comparable earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to exceed C$10 billion in 2022, driven by long-term contracts and assets. The forecast represents an EBITDA increase of more than 16% from what the company reported for 2018. The Keystone pipeline operator also said it expects dividend to grow at an average annual rate of 8% to 10% through 2021 and 5% to 7% beyond 2021. COLUMN Oil price rally squeezes bears, but bulls keep powder dry: Kemp Hedge fund managers continued to scale back short positions in crude last week amid receding fears of a global recession and increasing signs of a slowdown in U.S. oil production growth next year. ANALYSTS' RECOMMENDATION • BRP Inc (DOO). National Bank of Canada raises target price to C$71 from C$58, citing the company’s positive long-term growth outlook and strong new product momentum. • George Weston Ltd (WN). RBC raises target price to C$125 from C$122, reflecting on the company’s subsidiary, Loblaw, posting strong earnings and improved productivity. • HLS Therapeutics Inc (HLS). Canaccord Genuity initiates coverage with buy rating and a target price of C$22.50, saying the company’s drug Vascepa is expected to improve net sales and EBITDA. • OceanaGold Corp (OGC). National Bank of Canada cuts target price to C$4.25 from C$4.50, stating reduction in the company’s next twelve months EBITDA forecast and lower Waihi gold mine production estimates. ECONOMIC EVENTS (All timings in U.S. Eastern Time) 0830 Manufacturing sales mm for Sep: Expected -0.6%; Prior 0.8% COMPANIES REPORTING RESULTS November 19: Curaleaf Holdings Inc (CURA). Expected Q3 loss of 2 cents per share George Weston Ltd (WN). Expected Q3 earnings of C$2.22 per share November 20: Harvest Health & Recreation Inc (HARV). Expected Q3 loss of 7 cents per share Metro Inc (MRU). Expected Q4 earnings of 69 Canadian cents per share CORPORATE EVENTS (All timings in U.S. Eastern Time) 0800 Trulieve Cannabis Corp (TRUL). Q3 earnings conference call 0900 George Weston Ltd (WN). Q3 earnings conference call 1700 Curaleaf Holdings Inc (CURA). Q3 earnings conference call EXDIVIDENDS Lassonde Industries Inc (LASa). Amount C$0.59 (All analysts' estimates are according to I/B/E/S Refinitiv data.) 2 PICTURE OF THE DAY A demonstrator looks on in front of a fire during a protest against Chile's government in Santiago, Chile, November 18. REUTERS/Henry Romero 3 .