TORONTO - The Toronto stock market looked set to open little changed amid lower expectations for Chinese economic growth and major news from the oilpatch. The Canadian dollar was slightly lower, down 0.08 of a U.S. cent to 80.46 cents. The currency jumped almost one-half a cent Wednesday as the Bank of Canada left its key rate unchanged at 0.75 per cent. It also indicated another cut is unlikely following the surprise quarter-point cut in January to counter the knock-on effects of the collapse of oil prices on the economy. New York futures were positive with traders set to digest the U.S. government's employment report for February on Friday. Economists generally expected the economy to have created about 235,000 jobs last month. The Dow Jones industrial futures gained 29 points to 18,115, the Nasdaq futures were ahead 7.7 points at 4,452 and the S&P 500 futures rose 3.2 points to 2,099.7. China has announced a growth target for this year of about seven per cent, down from last year's 7.5 per cent. Actual economic growth last year was 7.4 per cent, the lowest since 1990. Premier Li Keqiang is promising to give entrepreneurs and foreign investors a bigger role in an economy that, after three decades of market-oriented reforms, still is dominated by government-owned banks, oil producers and other companies. Stocks to watch Thursday include Encana (TSX:ECA). The energy company announced after the close Wednesday that it is tapping the markets with a share issue of $1.25 billion. Including options, proceeds could climb as high as $1.44 billion. The collapse in oil prices — down 50 per cent from the highs of last summer — has had a major impact on the cash flows of energy companies. Cenovus Energy Inc. (TSX:CVE) last month announced it was tapping the markets in a $1.5-billion share offering. And on Thursday, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (TSX:CNQ) said that it almost tripled its profit in the fourth quarter to just under $1.2 billion or $1.09 a diluted share. Adjusted net earnings were $756 million or 69 cents per share, up from $563 million or 52 cents. The energy company is raising its quarterly dividend by half a cent to 23 cents per share. It also announced a cut in capital spending plans for 2015 and announced that the members of its management committee are taking a 10 per cent pay cut. In other earnings news, food company George Weston Ltd. (TSX:WN) said net earnings attributable to shareholders fell to $161 million or $1.17 per diluted share from $177 million or $1.30. Adjusted earnings were $212 million or $1.58 per share, up sharply from $135 million or 98 cents in the prior-year period, but still short of analyst expectations of $199 million or $1.61 per share. Revenue of $11.73 billion beat estimates of $11.38 billion. On the commodity markets, April crude in New York gained 48 cents to US$52.10 a barrel. Metals were mixed with May copper down a cent to US$2.65 a pound while April gold gained $1.90 to US$1,202.80 an ounce.

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