Aug 20 (Reuters) - Futures tracking Canada's main stock index were flat on Wednesday, as investors await the U.S. Federal Reserve's annual symposium later this week for clues on the monetary policy path.
The futures on the S&P/TSX index (.SXFcv1), were down 0.02% as of 06:05 a.m. ET (1005 GMT), while futures tracking Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 fell 0.1%.
Investors avoided outsized bets as they looked ahead to remarks from Fed chair Jerome Powell at the Jackson Hole symposium on Friday that could potentially sway market expectations for future interest rate cuts.
Later on Wednesday, expectations for U.S. policy easing will also be tested by the release of minutes from the Fed's last policy meeting, where two officials dissented from the majority "hold" verdict - the first such split since 1993.
According to the CME Group's FedWatch tool, traders are pricing in at least two rate cuts by the end of 2025.
Ahead of the Fed minutes, gold prices ticked up but hovered near three-week lows. Copper prices remained steady.
Oil prices gained over 1% after report of a drop in U.S. crude inventories.
Canada's new housing price index, due at 08:30 a.m. ET, is the only noteworthy indicator in a data-light day.
In corporate news, High Arctic Energy Services (HWO.TO), on Tuesday announced the resignation of Mike Maguire as CEO.
The S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE), fell on Tuesday, dragged by significant declines for technology and mining shares.
Tuesday's losses, however, were contained by a cooler domestic inflation report.
The data firmed expectations for a Bank of Canada rate cut at the October meeting, with the odds reaching about 60%.
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($1 = 1.3878 Canadian dollars)
Reporting by Nikhil Sharma; Editing by Sahal Muhammed
