Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed to a higher open on Friday, supported by Thursday's dovish comments by Federal Reserve Chair nominee Janet Yellen, while investors eyed the release of U.S. data later in the day.
Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.16% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.19% rise, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.23% increase.
In a Senate hearing on Thursday, Yellen defended the Fed's stimulus measures to bolster growth and called efforts to boost hiring an "imperative".
The comments added to expectations that the Fed's monthly bond purchases may remained unchanged for an extended period of time.
The financial sector was expected to be active, after Moody’s Investors Service cut its ratings on four of the biggest U.S. banks after deciding the government would be less likely to help them repay creditors in a crisis.
Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of New York Mellon had their senior holding company ratings lowered one level on Thursday.
Google was also likely to be in focus, as a federal judge in New York on Thursday ruled that the Google Books project doesn’t violate copyright law, dismissing an eight-year-old lawsuit against the search-engine company.
In other company news, Berkshire Hathaway reported a stake in Exxon Mobil valued at about USD3.7 billion, as Warren Buffett’s company disclosed its largest new holding since International Business Machines in 2011.
Following the news, Exxon Mobil rallied 1.80% in pre-market trade.
Elsewhere, Comcast was said to be planning to begin selling movies over its cable service before the end of the year. Film sales would add to Comcast’s on-demand service, which currently lets viewers rent movies, not own them.
In earnings news, late Thursday, Applied Materials forecast fiscal first-quarter sales and profit that were in line with estimates amid rising machinery orders from contract chipmakers. Shares still edged down 0.08% in after-hour trade.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were higher. The EURO STOXX 50 inched up 0.01%, France’s CAC 40 added 0.14%, Germany's DAX edged 0.11% higher, while Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.37%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index jumped 1.69%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index rallied 1.95%.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release data on manufacturing activity in the New York region, as well as reports on industrial production and import prices.
Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.16% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.19% rise, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.23% increase.
In a Senate hearing on Thursday, Yellen defended the Fed's stimulus measures to bolster growth and called efforts to boost hiring an "imperative".
The comments added to expectations that the Fed's monthly bond purchases may remained unchanged for an extended period of time.
The financial sector was expected to be active, after Moody’s Investors Service cut its ratings on four of the biggest U.S. banks after deciding the government would be less likely to help them repay creditors in a crisis.
Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of New York Mellon had their senior holding company ratings lowered one level on Thursday.
Google was also likely to be in focus, as a federal judge in New York on Thursday ruled that the Google Books project doesn’t violate copyright law, dismissing an eight-year-old lawsuit against the search-engine company.
In other company news, Berkshire Hathaway reported a stake in Exxon Mobil valued at about USD3.7 billion, as Warren Buffett’s company disclosed its largest new holding since International Business Machines in 2011.
Following the news, Exxon Mobil rallied 1.80% in pre-market trade.
Elsewhere, Comcast was said to be planning to begin selling movies over its cable service before the end of the year. Film sales would add to Comcast’s on-demand service, which currently lets viewers rent movies, not own them.
In earnings news, late Thursday, Applied Materials forecast fiscal first-quarter sales and profit that were in line with estimates amid rising machinery orders from contract chipmakers. Shares still edged down 0.08% in after-hour trade.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were higher. The EURO STOXX 50 inched up 0.01%, France’s CAC 40 added 0.14%, Germany's DAX edged 0.11% higher, while Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.37%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index jumped 1.69%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index rallied 1.95%.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release data on manufacturing activity in the New York region, as well as reports on industrial production and import prices.