Global indicators are mixed for North American stock markets Thursday morning, but trading will likely be light ahead of the holidays.

U.S. markets will be closed Monday while Canadian markets get a four-day weekend with the Boxing Day holiday Tuesday.

In today’s economic news, the U.S. Commerce Dept. said gross domestic product grew at a 2% annualized pace in the third quarter, down from an earlier estimate of 2.2% growth. It was the department’s second revision to GDP growth. Economists, on average, expected no revision.

Separately, the U.s. Labor Department said new claims for unemployment benefits rose 9,000 to 315,000 last week, slightly less than economists expected.

Here at home, Statistics Canada said Canadian GDP remained essentially unchanged in October after contracting 0.4% in September.

Separately, StatsCan reported retail sales fell in October for the second month in a row, as sales in the automotive sector continued to decline and back-to-school spending on clothing wrapped up.

The Canadian dollar opened at US86.9¢, down 0.18 of a cent.

Crude-oil futures slipped 42¢ to US$63.30 a barrel in electronic trading.

In earnings news, Nike Inc. late Wednesday reported an 8% profit rise on 10% sales growth.

Bed Bath & Beyond unveiled a lower-than-expected 6% profit rise on 12% sales growth and said it is cooperating with a Securities and Exchange Commission probe into its stock-option grants.

Accenture Ltd. may rise after the consulting firm lifted its annual profit outlook and reported a 32% profit gain.

Research In Motion is due to report after today’s close.

In M&A news, Raytheon Co. agreed to sell its aircraft-making unit for US$3.3 billion to Onex and Goldman Sachs. It plans to buy back US$750 million in stock.

International stock markets didn’t move much overnight.

Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index added 36.79 points, or 0.22%, to finish at 17,047.83, its highest since May 9.

In Hong Kong, the blue chip Hang Seng Index fell 17.28 points, or 0.1%, to finish at 19,222.84..

In Europe, the FTSE 100 in London slipped 0.3%.

Toronto stocks moved marginally forward Wednesday, as strength in the information technology sector offset weakness in the resource sectors.

The S&P/TSX composite index inched ahead 1.45 points, or 0.01%, to 12,782.99.

Six of the 10 TSX main sub-groups were up.

The S&P/TSX Venture composite index gained 20.25 points, or 0.72%, to 2,846.28.

In New York, markets ended slightly lower as weakness in the energy sector erased early gains fuelled by mergers and acquisitions news.

The Dow Jones industrial index fell 7.45, or 0.06%, to 12,463.87, the Nasdaq dipped 1.94, or 0.08%, to 2,427.61, and the S&P500 lost 2.02, or 0.14%, to 1,423.53.