Stock futures edged higher Monday, with data on tap that could show worsening conditions in the U.S. manufacturing sector and sluggish automobile sales.

The Canadian dollar opened trading at US99.7¢ on Monday, down three-tenths of a U.S. cent and its first opening in weeks below parity with the greenback.

The drop come as oil prices fell and just one day before the Bank of Canada is scheduled to make an announcement on interest rates. Analysts are split on whether interest rates will be cut to help the economy.

Crude-oil futures continued to fall, losing 73¢ at US$87.98 a barrel.

There are no major economic releases from Statistics Canada today.

South of the border, the U.S. Institute of Supply Management’s manufacturing index for November, which may have slipped slightly to 50.7%, according to economist forecasts. Any reading above 50 indicates economic expansion.

Also today, auto makers will report November sales, which may have declined since October and flattened compared to a year ago.

In earnings news, MetLife Inc., the U.S. insurance and financial services company, predicted its operating profit will rise in the fourth quarter and full year due to strong results from its business as well as “unusually strong” investment results.

In M&A news, Vivendi SA said it plans to acquire a controlling stake in Activision Inc. to combine it with Vivendi Games and create a rival to Electronic Arts Inc. Activision and Vivendi valued the combined company at US$18.9 billion.

Overseas, Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko Fukui said the end of the U.S. housing adjustment isn’t in sight and that current Japanese rates were too low in light of economic conditions.

The Nikkei 225 ended with a loss of 0.3% in Tokyo.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 slipped 0.4% in London.

On Friday, Toronto and New York stock prices ended a solid week on an upbeat note, with the U.S. market looking for rate cuts and Canadians getting a boost from bank and metals shares.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 25.23 points at 13,689.12, while the Dow Jones industrial average added 60 points to close at 13,371.72.

Over the full week, the TSX rose 1.6%, the DJIA climbed 3%, the S&P 500 gained 2.8% and the Nasdaq advanced 2.5%.

In Toronto, the financial index today rose 1.2% even though Royal Bank shares fell 67¢ to $53 after the bank said its latest quarterly earnings were up just 5% from a year earlier.

The S&P/TSX Venture composite index tacked on five points to end at 2,736.98.