(Reuters) - Canada's main stock index pointed to a higher open on Thursday, helped by a rise in the price of gold, which snapped a two-day decline as signs of physical demand emerged from Chinese buyers. TOP STORIES * German unemployment rose to its highest level since April 2011 on a seasonally adjusted basis in November, but the jobless rate stayed close to its lowest since Germany reunified more than two decades ago, Labour Office data showed. * Thomas Cook posted a 49 percent jump in full-year operating profit and raised its cost cutting target as part of the holiday firm's successful turnaround program. * A judge on Wednesday approved a settlement resolving U.S. regulators' opposition to a merger between AMR Corp and US Airways Group Inc, allowing AMR, the bankrupt parent of American Airlines, to soon close on a tie-up that will create the world's largest carrier. * Barclays Capital Inc has been ordered to pay $2.1 million to a New York-based trader it fired last year in connection with the alleged rigging of the London interbank offered rate, or Libor, according to arbitration documents. MARKET SNAPSHOT * Canada stock futures traded up 0.3 percent * European shares .FTEU3, .STOXX were up .EU COMMODITY PRICE MOVES * Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB Index .TRJCRBTR: 274.0694; was unchanged * Gold futures: $1,243.2; rose 0.44 percent * Brent crude: $110.94; fell 0.33 percent * LME 3-month copper: $7,001; fell 0.27 percent CANADIAN STOCKS TO WATCH * Saputo Inc (SAP.TO): Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co Ltd piled pressure on the company in the race for control of key Australian dairy exports with a fresh A$530 million cash offer on Thursday for Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Co. * TransCanada Corp (TRP.TO): Canada's National Energy Board said on Wednesday it is investigating a pipeline rupture and natural gas leak on TransCanada's Nova system near Boyle, Alberta. ANALYSTS' RECOMMENDATIONS Following is a summary of research actions on Canadian companies reported by Reuters. * Keyera Corp (KEY.TO): CIBC raises price target to C$65.60 from C$62 to reflect analysts increased confidence in the KFS II and Norlite projects. ON THE CALENDAR * Major Canadian economic data includes producer prices, current account and raw material prices * U.S. markets closed in observance of Thanksgiving Day (Reporting by Samarendra Sahoo in Bangalore; Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson)

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