Stocks are expected to move a little higher at the open this morning with Wall Street futures just barely positive. No major economic reports are scheduled to be released today, but investors are hoping for some positive corporate news to spur the markets.

The good news isn’t likely to come from Europe, though, where markets are mixed. At midday, London’s FTSE 100 index is up 0.19%, but Frankfurt’s DAX has dropped 0.5% and Paris’s CAC 40 is down 0.16%.

In Asia, overnight, Tokyo’s Nikkei stock average rose 19.18 points, or 0.19%, to 10,226.22. Softbank, Mitsubishi-Tokyo Financial was among the top gainers. However, in Hong Kong prices fell for a third consecutive session, following losses in property issues and other blue chips. The Hang Seng Index dipped 32.14 points, or 0.3%, to 11,971.48.

Statistics Canada is reporting that the New Housing Price Index rose 0.5% in September, unchanged from August’s monthly increase. On a 12-month basis, this index of contractors’ selling prices rose 5.1%, up from August’s annual increase of 4.7%.

Prices were up in 15 of the 21 urban centres surveyed. Edmonton led the way with an increase of 1.7%, followed by St. John’s (+1.4%), Québec (+1.3%), Saskatoon (+1.3%) and Ottawa-Gatineau (+1.1%). For the seventh consecutive month, Quebec City posted the largest 12-month increase for new homes (+10.1%) followed by Victoria (+8.6%) and Montreal (+7.4%).

On Tuesday, Dundee Wealth Management Inc. announced that it has acquired mutual fund seller Cartier Partners Financial Group in a cash and share takeover valued at $123.4 million.

Real estate corporation, Trizec Canada Inc., announced third quarter profits of US$22.5 million, mostly due to improved results of an American real estate trust in which it has a 40% interest.

Profit-takers were out in force on North American stock indexes. Losses in the information technology sector led the way to a 43.22-point decline in Toronto’s S&P/TSX composite index to 7,772.24. Nortel Networks retreated 15¢ to $5.70.

In New York, the Dow industrial average fell 18.74 points to 9,737.79 on light volume. The Nasdaq composite index dropped 10.89 at 1,930.75. The S&P 500 edged 0.54 of a point lower at 1,046.57.