September futures on the S&P/TSX index were down 0.1% at 6:48 a.m. ET (1048 GMT).
Crude prices slipped after a series of weak data from top consumer China weighed on investor sentiment. [O/R]
Ahead of the Fed meeting minutes, market participants are betting a 90.5% probability that the central bank will hold interest rates steady, as per CME Group's Fedwatch tool.
Meanwhile, Wall Street futures edged higher ahead of Fed minutes. [.N]
Canada's annualized rate of housing starts, due at 8:15 a.m. ET, is expected to fall to 240,000 units in July compared to 281,373 units in June.
Canadian wholesale trade is estimated to fall 4.2% in June from May, due at 8:30 a.m. ET.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended down 1.9% on Tuesday, after hotter-than-expected domestic inflation data and U.S. retail sales numbers fanned concerns of more interest rate hikes.
Canada's Suncor Energy said on Tuesday it is continuing talks with French oil major TotalEnergies about buying its nearly one-third stake in the Fort Hills oil sands mine.
Global bus manufacturer NFI Group and pot producer Cresco Labs will report quarterly results later in the day.
COMMODITIES AT 6:48 a.m. ET
Gold futures: $1,909.6; +0.1% [GOL/]
US crude: $80.82; -0.2% [O/R]
Brent crude: $84.71; -0.2% [O/R]
($1= C$1.3498)
(Reporting by Siddarth S in Bengaluru; Editing by Shweta Agarwal)
