Dec 16 (Reuters) - Futures tracking Canada's main stock

index edged up on Monday, as investors awaited the Federal

Reserve's interest rate decision and key U.S. economic data this

week for clues on pace of monetary easing next year.

Futures on the S&P/TSX index were up 0.1% as of

8:17 a.m. ET.

On Wall Street, S&P 500 E-minis were up 13.25

points, or 0.22%, with 130,871 contracts changing hands, Nasdaq

100 E-minis were up 78.5 points, or 0.36%, Dow E-minis

were up 77 points, or 0.18%.

Canada is expected to announce on Monday it blew past its

deficit target for last year, when Finance Minister Chrystia

Freeland presents her mid-term budget, and economists said

estimates for this year could also be higher as spending

increases.

Freeland is due to present the Fall Economic Statement (FES)

to the House of Commons after 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT).

Potentially impacting Canada stocks at open, oil prices

dropped about 1%, pressured by weaker than

expected consumer spending in China, the world's largest oil

importer.

However, gold prices gained against a softer dollar

ahead of the Fed's policy meeting on Wednesday when the central

bank is expected to deliver a third rate cut this year and

provide hints regarding its 2025 outlook.

U.S. business survey for December is due later in the day.

The Bank of Canada slashed its key policy rate by 50 basis

points last week to help address slower growth, though Governor

Tiff Macklem indicated that further cuts would be more gradual

and said he does not expect a recession.

In corporate news, Barrick Gold ( GOLD ) will suspend

operations in Mali if gold shipments continue to be blocked, the

company said, as it struggles to reach agreement with

authorities on a new mining code in the West African country.

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