Dec 20 (Reuters) - Futures tracking Canada's main stock

index fell on Friday, mirroring their Wall Street peers, as

investors awaited key U.S. inflation and domestic retail sales

data due later in the day.

Futures on the S&P/TSX index were down 0.8% at 5:58

a.m. ET (1058 GMT).

The Core Personal Consumption Expenditures data - a closely

watched U.S. inflation gauge - is due at 8.30 a.m. ET.

Forecasts are centered on a monthly rise of 0.2% for

November and any upward surprises could lead markets to further

scale back bets for U.S. policy easing, after the Federal

Reserve signaled fewer-than-expected interest rate cuts next

year.

U.S. stock futures fell before the data, as investors

assessed the possibility of a government shutdown.

Back home, Canada's retail sales data for November is also

due at 8:30 a.m. ET, which would offer more clues on the

economy's strength.

The Bank of Canada lowered interest rates last week by an

outsized 50 basis points for the second consecutive time and is

expected to ease further in 2025 amid a weakening outlook.

Markets placed 50% odds on a 25-bps cut next month.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index

fell to a six-week low on Thursday, as investors

weighed the potential impact on returns of a more hawkish Fed

and a weaker Canadian dollar.

Gold prices rose, but were set for a weekly decline.

Copper also rebounded from a five-week low hit in the previous

session, as most base metals gained on positive economic

indicators from the U.S.

Oil prices , however, fell on worries about

demand growth in 2025, especially in top crude importer China,

putting global oil benchmarks on track to end the week down

nearly 3%.