Early indicators for North American markets were mixed Thursday as reports showed that third quarter economic growth slowed in September.

Investors will also be looking ahead to a report on U.S. consumer confidence and earnings reports from Royal Bank and Bank of Nova Scotia.
The U.S. economy grew at a 3.9% annual rate in the third quarter, the Commerce Department said today. That’s faster than the 3.7% pace initially estimated, as consumer spending rose 5.1%. Corporate profits fell 2%.

Later today, the U.S. Conference Board is slated to release its consumer confidence index for November at 10 a.m., and the National Association of Purchasing Managers-Chicago will release its manufacturing index.

Crude-oil prices continued to rise, climbing 10¢ to US$49.86 in early trading Tuesday.

Here at home, Canada’s economy ended the third quarter on a weak note with no growth in September, Statistics Canada said today. The downturn followed 0.4% growth in August and 0.3% growth in July, StatsCan said.

However, in the third quarter of the year, gross domestic product advanced by 0.8%, bolstered by robust manufacturing, wholesale and retail sectors.

Toronto stocks closed flat Monday, held back by a slide in the heavily weighted financials group ahead this week’s bank earnings reports. Toronto’s S&P/TSX composite index closed 1.56 points lower, or 0.02%, at 9,056.41. Volume was 263 million shares.

Financials were the biggest losers, sliding 0.65% with Royal Bank down 60¢ to $62.04, but Scotiabank gained 4¢ to $37.32.

The junior S&P/TSX venture composite index rose 21.39 points, or 1.23% to 1,765.56.

On Wall Street, stocks finished mixed.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 46.33 points, or 0.44%, o 10,475.9. The tech-intensive Nasdaq composite index gained 4.9 points, or 0.23%, to 2,106.8. The broader S&P 500 index dipped 4.08 points, 0.4%5, to 1,178.57.