Stock futures trade higher to end the week
Investors will be watching for the latest consumer confidence reading from the University of Michigan
FOX Business’ Cheryl Casone breaks down weekly initial jobless claims and June retail sales.
U.S. equity futures are pointing to a higher open when the Friday Wall Street session begins.
The major futures indexes are suggesting a gain of 0.3 percent.
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Investors have been encouraged by signs of more business activity as anti-virus controls are eased. But California and some other areas have reimposed orders closing bars and some other businesses after a renewed surge in infections.
Enthusiasm was dampened Thursday by data showing 1.3 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week.
1.3M AMERICANS FILED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT AID LAST WEEK
Friday's economic calendar includes the latest on new home construction. The number of housing starts is estimated to rise by 20 percent in June. Permits for futures construction are expected to rise by 6.1 percent.
The University of Michigan’s preliminary index of consumer sentiment for July is expected to edge up almost a point to 79, up from June’s final reading of 78.1.
In Europe, London's FTSE is gaining 0.5 percent, Germany's DAX is adding 0.6 percent and France's CAC is down 0.2 percent.
In Asian markets, the Nikkei in Tokyo lost 0.3 percent, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong rose 0.5 percent and China's Shanghai Composite added 0.1 percent.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I:DJI | DOW JONES AVERAGES | 43182.45 | -86.49 | -0.20% |
| SP500 | S&P 500 | 5876.15 | -40.83 | -0.69% |
| I:COMP | NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX | 18801.891326 | -185.58 | -0.98% |
Wall Street's benchmark S&P-500 index lost 0.3 percent in the Thursday session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq composite, which set a record last week, lost 0.7 percent.
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In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude oil lost 24 cents to $40.51 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract declined 45 cents on Thursday to settle at $40.75. Brent crude, the standing for pricing international oils, retreated 26 cents to $43.11 per barrel in London. It fell 42 cents the previous session to $43.37.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.