U.S. stock index futures are signalling a higher open following better-than-expected earnings and economic data from the U.S.
The U.S. government reported on Thursday that its count of Americans filing claims for jobless benefits dropped to a 14-year low last week, falling by 23,000 to 264,000. Separately, U.S. industrial production rose 1.0 percent in September, versus expectations of 0.4 percent.
After another choppy trading session on Thursday, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard was credited with a bounce-back in U.S. markets, which ended mostly flat, when he said the U.S. Federal Reserve should consider continuing to buy bonds beyond the scheduled end of quantitative easing later this month, due to market turmoil.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has pared back its
bond-buying program from $85 billion a month to $15 billion a month, though the central bank it is expected to announce the final tapering of the program when it meets later this month.
On Friday, investors will be looking to see whether Fed chair Janet Yellen will make any comment on the outlook for the U.S. economy when she speaks on economic opportunity at the Boston Fed's 58th Economic Conference.
The conference focus is on inequality of economic opportunity. Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren is also speaking there and will appear exclusively on "Squawk Box" at 7:30 a.m.
Earnings will also be in focus Friday with General Electric reporting before the bell. Morgan Stanley, Bank of NY Mellon, Synchrony Financial, Comerica, M&T Bank, SunTrust, Huntington Bancshares, Kansas City Southern and Textron are also reporting.
Data includes housing starts at 8:30 a.m. ET, and consumer sentiment, at 9:55 a.m.
There was mixed trade in Europe and Asia overnight as investors digested the latest U.S. data, which come after a week of more pessimistic reports that had fueled concerns over a global slowdown.
The U.S. government reported on Thursday that its count of Americans filing claims for jobless benefits dropped to a 14-year low last week, falling by 23,000 to 264,000. Separately, U.S. industrial production rose 1.0 percent in September, versus expectations of 0.4 percent.
After another choppy trading session on Thursday, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard was credited with a bounce-back in U.S. markets, which ended mostly flat, when he said the U.S. Federal Reserve should consider continuing to buy bonds beyond the scheduled end of quantitative easing later this month, due to market turmoil.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has pared back its
bond-buying program from $85 billion a month to $15 billion a month, though the central bank it is expected to announce the final tapering of the program when it meets later this month.
On Friday, investors will be looking to see whether Fed chair Janet Yellen will make any comment on the outlook for the U.S. economy when she speaks on economic opportunity at the Boston Fed's 58th Economic Conference.
The conference focus is on inequality of economic opportunity. Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren is also speaking there and will appear exclusively on "Squawk Box" at 7:30 a.m.
Earnings will also be in focus Friday with General Electric reporting before the bell. Morgan Stanley, Bank of NY Mellon, Synchrony Financial, Comerica, M&T Bank, SunTrust, Huntington Bancshares, Kansas City Southern and Textron are also reporting.
Data includes housing starts at 8:30 a.m. ET, and consumer sentiment, at 9:55 a.m.
There was mixed trade in Europe and Asia overnight as investors digested the latest U.S. data, which come after a week of more pessimistic reports that had fueled concerns over a global slowdown.
Holly EllyattAssistant Producer, CNBC.com
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