North American stocks are poised to open higher Monday with a wave of merger activity.

The U.S. economic calendar is light on Monday, with wholesale inventories numbers for October due for release.

Here at home, Statistics Canada said labour productivity in fell by 0.1% in the third quarter, slightly less than the 0.3% decline posted in the second quarter. This was the second straight decline following seven consecutive quarters of positive growth.

Economists had forecast productivity to increase 0.4%.

Separately, StatsCan said the New Housing Price Index edged up 0.2% in October to 146.7. This was the smallest monthly increase since July 2005. Economists had expected a 0.5% monthly increase.

The Canadian dollar opened at US87.02¢, down 0.03 of a cent.

In M&A news, Brazil’s Companhia Siderurgica Nacional made a formal 515 pence-a-share cash offer for Anglo-Dutch steel company Corus Group, trumping a raised offer from India’s Tata Steel.

Citigroup reportedly launched a bid for Prudential PLC’s Egg Internet-banking arm. Prudential confirmed it received a takeover approach for the unit, but didn’t say from whom.

Home Depot is going to pay US$100 million for a majority stake in China’s HomeWay, according to a Financial Times report.

Trimble Navigation agreed to buy @Road for US$496 million, or $7.50 a share.

Pearson agreed to sell 90% of its Pearson Government Solutions division to New York private equity Veritas Capital for US$560 million in cash and US$40 million in preferred stock.

In other business news, Brookfield Properties Corp. said aims to raise $1.38 billion in an offering of 30 million common shares to repay debt. Majority shareholder Brookfield Asset Management will acquire about 11.25 million of the shares offered, Brookfield Properties said Monday as it also forecast higher income for 2007.

Crude-oil prices fell Monday amid mixed signals from OPEC officials about the possibility of production cuts when the organization meets this week. Forecasts of warmer U.S. weather also depressed prices.

Light sweet crude for January delivery dropped 31¢ to US$61.72 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midday in Europe.

In international markets, the FTSE 100 rose 0.3% in London.

Asian markets also advanced with Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index climbing 110.17 points, or 0.67%, to finish at 16,527.99 points on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

In Hong Kong, the blue-chip Hang Seng Index rose 184.67 points to 18,924.66.

Toronto stocks were down Friday, as a good day in financials was offset by weakness across the broader market.

The S&P/TSX composite index fell 16.14, or 0.12%, to 12,899.58.

Eight of the 10 TSX main groups were down, but financials were up 0.38%.

Bank of Nova Scotia gained 3¢, or 0.06%, to $51.60, but Toronto-Dominion Bank fell 65¢, or 0.96%, to $67.35.

The S&P TSX Venture Exchange gained 11.82, or 0.42%, to 2,820.17.

In New York, markets moved higher on an encouraging employment report for November.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved up 29.08, or 0.24%, to 12,307.49, the Nasdaq composite index gained 9.67, or 0.40%, to 2,437.36, and the S&P500 gained 2.55, or 0.18%, to 1,409.84.