Global signals were mixed for North American stock markets early Thursday while oil prices remained close to record highs.

Indicators pointed to a slightly lower open as investors — with little economic news to digest — were making few moves before next week’s U.S. Federal Reserve meeting, at which a cut in the key funds rate by at least 25 basis points is expected.

Overseas, Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 0.22%, Germany’s DAX index fell 0.35% and France’s CAC-40 shed 0.28%. Japan’s Nikkei stock average ended slightly higher, up 0.15%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.93%.

Oil prices remained near record highs Thursday after U.S. crude inventories fell and drove oil futures above US$80 a barrel for the first time on Wednesday. Light sweet crude for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange lost three cents to US$79.88 a barrel in electronic trading by midday in Europe.

Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar opened at US96.73 cents, up 0.21 of a cent, continuing its upward climb from Wednesday, when the loonie gained 0.53 of a cent to US96.52 cents US as the U.S. dollar dropped against world currencies.

On Wednesday, the S&P/TSX composite index added 52.44 points to 13,756.72. The TSX Venture Exchange rose 12 points to 2,727.63.

In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrials moved down 16.74 points to 13,291.65, the Nasdaq composite index fell 5.4 points to 2,592.07 while the S&P 500 index inched up 0.07 of a point to 1,471.56.