CANADA STOCKS-Canada futures slip as weak retail forecast and fed rate uncertainty cloud outlook

Nov 21 (Reuters) - Futures for Canada's main stock index edged lower on Friday, joining a global selloff as investors offloaded risk assets while the U.S. jobs report offered little clarity on interest rate decisions.

Futures on the S&P/TSX Composite Index were down 0.2% as of 05:25 a.m. ET, joining the S&P and Nasdaq futures , which were also lower.

On Thursday, the underlying benchmark reversed early gains to end at a two-week low, joining a selloff at Wall Street despite Nvidia's blockbuster earnings while investors continued to fret about increased technology valuations and AI spending.

The index was on course for its weakest weekly performance since early October.

Canada's retail sales report, due later in the day, is expected to show a 0.7% drop for September, a sign of cooling consumer demand as recent data showed inflation eased to 2.2% in October, offering fresh clues on the health of household spending.

Mixed U.S. jobs data,

featuring stronger-than-expected September

hiring alongside rising unemployment and downward revisions, has

clouded the outlook

for the Federal Reserve's next policy decision as officials grow increasingly hawkish.

Markets, especially Wall Street has had a stellar run this year mainly backed by the AI and tech rally and the optimism on easing of borrowing rates. Canadian equities have also moved in tandem with the U.S markets this year often shrugging off economic and financial decisions happened domestically.

Weighing sentiment this morning, gold prices fell nearly 1% as hopes of a U.S rate diminished.

Oil prices fell more than 1% extending declines as a peace deal for Russia-Ukraine war was touted that could boost global supply.

In corporate news, Dye & Durham (DYNDF) has been offered $272 million by Plantro to be taken private, Bloomberg News reported.

GFL Environmental (GFL) announced secondary offering by selling shareholders. (Reporting by Avinash P in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)