North American stocks are pointing to a slightly higher open Thursday, with traders cautious a day before the release of U.S. jobs data.

Investors may be reluctant to make any significant decisions ahead of Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report.

Wall Street economists expect the U.S. economy to have added 110,000 jobs in November, up from 92,000 in October.

Here at home, the wealth of Canadian families increased substantially from 1999 to 2005, despite carrying more debt as a result of growing demand for mortgages and consumer credit, according to a new survey released today by Statistics Canada.

The Canadian dollar opened at US87.12¢, down 0.01 of a cent.

The European Central Bank raised its key interest rate a quarter of a percentage point to 3.5% on Thursday, but a strong euro means the bank could pause its string of rate increases next year.

The Bank of England held its main rate steady at 5%.

In business news, Home Depot said an internal investigation found that the company routinely backdated stock options for 20 years, from 1981 to 2000, and as a result it understated compensation expense by US$200 million.

In M&A news British gambling-and-leisure company Rank Group said it will sell the Hard Rock Cafe restaurant-and-casino chain to the Seminole Tribe of Florida for US$965 million.

In earnings news, Gildan Activewear Inc. boosted its 2007 earnings forecast even as its fourth-quarter profit fell to US$16.8 million from a year-ago US$29.2 million after a restructuring charge of $20 million.

CIBC reports fourth-quarter earnings later today.

Crude-oil prices rose 1¢ to US$62.20 a barrel.

European indexes rose in early action, following the rate hike announcement by the ECB.

Asian markets closed mixed.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell one%, or 183.37 points, to close at 18,842.99.

Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index rose 102.08 points, or 0.62%, to finish at 16,473.36 points.

Toronto stocks moved modestly lower Wednesday, breaking a run of five consecutive positive sessions and record closes, as investors elected to pause from the blistering pace of gains.

The S&P/TSX composite index fell 6.06 points, or 0.05%, to 12,889.84.

Seven of the 10 TSX main groups were up.

The materials sector fell 0.66%, with the gold sub-sector losing 1.54%.

The S&P TSX Venture Exchange index fell 16.68, or 0.59%, to 2,817.66.

In New York, markets were marginally lower as some investors took some profits off the table after recent strong sessions.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 22.35 points, or 0.18%, to 12,309.25, the Nasdaq Composite index lost 6.52, or 0.27%, to 2,445.86, while the S&P 500 dipped 1.86, or 0.13%, to 1,412.90.