Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed to a higher open on Friday, as markets eyed the release of U.S. economic reports later in the day, amid ongoing uncertainty over whether the Federal Reserve will soon scale back its stimulus program.
Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.19% rise, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.25% increase, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.21% gain.
Markets were jittery after mixed U.S. data on Thursday added to uncertainty over the future of the Fed's bond-buying program.
The Department of Labor said the number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week fell by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 346,000, compared to expectations for a drop of 10,000 to 345,000.
A separate report showed that U.S. personal spending was up 0.3% in May, in line with expectations.
Retailers were expected to be active, as Nike dropped 0.91% in pre-market trade after the company said late Thursday that orders from June to November, excluding the effects of exchange-rate changes, advanced 8%, below analysts' projections for a gain of 8.8%.
Accenture was also down in early trading, diving 7.75% after saying fiscal fourth-quarter revenue will be USD6.7 billion to USD7 billion, below the USD7.36 billion average estimate.
Time Warner Cable was likely to remain in focus for the second consecutive session, as shares declined 0.66% pre-market amid reports John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media, sounded out options for cable operator Charter Communications to acquire its larger rival.
Other stocks likely to be in focus included Blackberry, due to report quarterly results before the U.S. market open.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 retreated 0.55%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.63%, Germany's DAX slid 0.32%, while Britain's FTSE 100 edged down 0.12%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index jumped 1.78%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index surged 3.03%.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release a report on manufacturing activity in Chicago and revised data from the University of Michigan on consumer sentiment.
Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.19% rise, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.25% increase, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.21% gain.
Markets were jittery after mixed U.S. data on Thursday added to uncertainty over the future of the Fed's bond-buying program.
The Department of Labor said the number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week fell by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 346,000, compared to expectations for a drop of 10,000 to 345,000.
A separate report showed that U.S. personal spending was up 0.3% in May, in line with expectations.
Retailers were expected to be active, as Nike dropped 0.91% in pre-market trade after the company said late Thursday that orders from June to November, excluding the effects of exchange-rate changes, advanced 8%, below analysts' projections for a gain of 8.8%.
Accenture was also down in early trading, diving 7.75% after saying fiscal fourth-quarter revenue will be USD6.7 billion to USD7 billion, below the USD7.36 billion average estimate.
Time Warner Cable was likely to remain in focus for the second consecutive session, as shares declined 0.66% pre-market amid reports John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media, sounded out options for cable operator Charter Communications to acquire its larger rival.
Other stocks likely to be in focus included Blackberry, due to report quarterly results before the U.S. market open.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 retreated 0.55%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.63%, Germany's DAX slid 0.32%, while Britain's FTSE 100 edged down 0.12%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index jumped 1.78%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index surged 3.03%.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release a report on manufacturing activity in Chicago and revised data from the University of Michigan on consumer sentiment.