Investing.com - Wall Street futures were lower on Friday, following a downturn in the technology sector in the previous session as investors locked in profits sparked by strong earnings reports, while fresh U.S. political tensions were expected to dampen sentiment ahead of the weekend.
The blue-chip Dow futures were down 0.11%, the S&P 500 futures slid 0.30%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.74%.
Investors were expected to remain cautious after Senate Republicans failed to pass their Obamacare repeal bill in a dramatic vote of 49-51 late Thursday night.
At least three Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, voted against the bill which needed a simple majority to pass in the Senate. President Donald Trump reacted to the vote by saying the three had "let the American people down".
Market participants were also eyeing the release of advance U.S. second-quarter growth data due later in the day, for further indications on the strength of the economy.
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK), AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV), LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB), American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL) and Ventas Inc (NYSE:VTR) are among the big names reporting before the opening bell.
The tech sector was set to remain in focus on Friday, with Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) shares in particular down 0.76% in pre-market trade after surging 3.66% in the previous session, still supported by this week’s strong earnings report.
The social media giant reported second-quarter earnings per share of $1.32 on revenue of $9.32 billion, beating analysts’ projections. The company also reported better-than-expected monthly active users.
Meanwhile, Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) shares plummeted 2.77% before the open as the online retailer reported Thursday a jump in retail sales but a 77% drop in quarterly income.
In currency markets, the dollar remained near 13-month lows, still weighed by the Federal Reserve’s latest policy statement raising doubts over an additional rate hike this year.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was last down 0.25% at 93.54, just off Thursday’s 13-month low of 93.00.