Early indicators from the U.S. Futures Index imply that Wall Street may open largely on a downturn this Friday. The spotlight is likely to be on the monthly job reports, which are anticipated to be the key announcement of the day.
As of 7:55 a.m. Eastern Time, Dow futures showed an increase of 23.00 points, whereas S&P 500 futures declined by 10.00 points and Nasdaq 100 futures decreased by 52.00 points.
In international markets, Asian stocks concluded the session lower, while European markets are exhibiting mixed performance.
U.S. major stock indices recorded losses on Thursday. The Nasdaq Composite, known for its tech-heavy composition, saw a slight decline of 10.80 points, translating to a 0.1 percent decrement, closing at 19,478.87. Conversely, the Dow Jones Industrial Average registered an ascent of 106.84 points, or 0.3 percent, to reach 42,635.20. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 index modestly increased by 9.22 points or 0.2 percent, concluding at 5,918.25.
On the economic agenda, the Federal Reserve's Balance Sheet report is slated for release at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
At 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the Baker Hughes Rig Count for the current week will be made available. In the preceding week, North America's rig count stood at 683 with the U.S. count at 589.
The consumer sentiment index for January is scheduled to be released at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Analysts are expecting a figure of 74.5, compared to the previous month's sentiment index of 74.0.
The Employment Situation report for December is due at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The projected figure is 157,000, down from a rise of 227,000 in the previous month.
In Asian markets, stock indices closed lower on Friday, with Chinese markets facing a decline. The Shanghai Composite Index saw a notable decrease of 1.33 percent, closing at 3,168.52, while the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong fell by 0.92 percent, ending at 19,064.29.
Australian markets similarly faced downward pressure. The S&P/ASX 200 index dropped by 0.42 percent, settling at 8,294.10, amid weaker-than-expected domestic retail sales data that have fueled expectations of a potential rate cut as soon as next month.
The material has been provided by InstaForex Company -
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