North American markets are likely to climb at the open Tuesday, rebounding from Monday’s losses on a slight pullback in oil prices.

Crude-oil prices inched lower early Tuesday, after Norway ordered workers to end a strike that was threatening exports from the world’s third-largest supplier. In early New York trading, oil prices fell 36¢ to US$54.18 a barrel.

In today’s economic news, Statistics Canada said the annual inflation rate was 1.8% in September, down slightly from the 1.9% recorded in August. The core inflation rate, which came in at 1.5%, the same as in August.

South of the border, the U.S. Conference Board is scheduled to release the consumer confidence index for October at 10:00 ET. Economists predict the consumer confidence reading will slip to 94.0, down from 96.8 in September.

In this morning’s earnings news, Rogers Communications. reported a third-quarter profit of $61.6 million, compared with a loss of $17.4 million a year ago.

Canadian Pacific Railway said it nearly doubled its third-quarter profits, helped by a gain on foreign exchange and increased volume. The railway said it earned $176.5 million or $1.11 per share for the three months ended September 30.

In financial services news, HSBC Bank Canada reported slightly higher profits in the third quarter as increased interest income and fewer bad loans was offset somewhat by higher salaries and benefit costs as the bank grew its operations. The bank said it earned profits of $84 million for the three months ended Sept. 30, up 3.7% from $81 million for the same period last year.

Toronto stocks closed mostly lower Monday, but the gold sector was a bright spot as the bullion prices rose to a seven-month high. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 31.64 points, or 0.4%, to 8,749.16.

The Canadian dollar gained more altitude on Monday, crossing the US82¢ level for the first time in 12 years as the U.S. dollar continued to slip in foreign exchange markets.

The loonie ultimately gave back some of its advance, closing at US81.90¢ up 0.84 of a cent.

The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index slipped less than one point to 1,663.21.

In New York, U.S. stocks closed little change as a bullish broker call on chip stocks and a decline in oil prices was offset by disappointing earnings reports.

The Dow Jones industrial average ended the day down 7.82 points at 9,749.99, climbing off a 9,708 intraday low.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index slipped just 1.10 points, or 1,914.04. The broader S&P 500 dipped 0.94 points to 1,094.80.

Insurance stocks remained in focus. Jeffrey Greenberg resigned as chief executive of Marsh & McLennan — the insurance broker accused recently of rigging bids by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. Marsh & McLennan shares fell 1.4%