North American stocks are poised for a rebound Thursday after three straight days of losses for the Dow Jones industrial average.

In this morning’s economic, news U.S. gross domestic product rose at a 2.5% annual rate in the fourth quarter, revised up from an estimate made a month ago of 2.2%, the U.S. Commerce Department said. Third-quarter growth was 2.0%.In all of 2006, GDP grew 3.3%, compared to 3.2% in 2005 and 3.9% in 2004.

Here at home, tourism spending advanced for the 14th consecutive quarter at the end of 2006, bolstered by tourism outlays by Canadians and a turnaround in spending by non-residents visiting Canada.

Statistics Canada said overall tourism spending (resident and non-resident) was up 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Tourism demand has been on the rise since the second quarter of 2003.

The Canadian dollar opened at US86.28¢, up 0.01 of a cent.

In today’s M&A news, Bell Canada owner BCE may receive the country’s largest-ever takeover bid from a group led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, according to report in the Globe and Mail newspaper. The bid could be worth more than US$25 billion.

U.S. Steel agreed to acquire Lone Star Technologies, a maker of oilfield tubing products, for about US$2.1 billion.

Crude-oil prices slipped 3¢ to US$64.05 a barrel amid continuing tensions between the Iran and the West.

Overseas markets were mostly higher. Asian-Pacific stocks recovered from a rocky start to end mostly positive, with Tokyo’s Nikkei climbing 0.1%.

In Europe, indexes gained ground at midday. The United Kingdom’s FTSE Index rose 0.6%, and the German DAX Xetra Index advanced 0.8%.

Toronto stocks moved down Wednesday, as weakness across the broader market offset a strong day in the energy sector.

The S&P/TSX composite index fell 21.61 points, or 0.16%, to 13,197.15.

Eight of the 10 TSX main sub-groups were down, but the energy index improved 0.94%.

In its second day trading, Montreal Exchange fell $1.63, or 3.53%, to $44.52, falling below yesterday’s opening day price of $45.00.

AGF Management gained $1.46, or 4.59%, to $33.25 after the financial services company reported a $36.3 million quarterly profit, a 50% gain over the same period last year, and also announced a dividend increase.

The S&P TSX Venture composite index edged ahead 2.27, or 0.07%, to 3,170.50.

In New York, markets moved lower on comments from U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke indicating he felt inflation remained a concern.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 96.93 points, or 0.78%, to 12,300.36, the Nasdaq lost 20.33, or 0.83%, to 2,417.10, and the S&P500 was off 12.38, or 0.87%, to 1,417.23.