By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch Baker Hughes climbs 7% premarket on
Halliburton interest
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Stocks on Wall Street were poised for a
positive open on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average set
to remain in record territory, ahead of retail sales and
consumer-sentiment numbers.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJZ4) climbed 22
points, or 0.1%, to 17,618, while those for the S&P 500 index
(SPZ4) added 2.60 points, or 0.1%, to 2,036.70. Futures for the
Nasdaq 100 index (NDZ4) rose 7 points, or 0.2%, to 4,212.
The small gains came after some muted action on Thursday,
although the Dow managed to eke out a 0.2% advance, which was
enough for it to close at a record high for the 25th time this
year
"Recently the Dow has weathered all numbers coming out of the
U.S., positive or otherwise, so its reaction to the U.S. retail
figures later today could provide an indication of the staying
power of this record run," said Connor Campbell, financial analyst
at Spreadex, in a note.
Economic data: What the corporate calender lacks in excitement,
the. At 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, retail sales for October are out
and are expected to bounce back after falling in the prior month.
Economists polled by MarketWatch forecast a mild 0.2% increase in
retail spending after a preliminary 0.3% drop in September, which
was the first decline in eight months.
The import-price index for October is also out at 8:30 a.m.
followed by consumer-sentiment numbers at 9:55 a.m. and business
inventories at 10 a.m.
Movers: Baker Hughes Inc. (BHI) jumped 7.2% in premarket action
after The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that Halliburton
Co. (HAL) is interested in a tie-up.
Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) could also move after the retailer late
Thursday reported earnings and sales ahead of estimates.
Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) was also in the spotlight
following its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report that came out
late Thursday.
Other markets: Crude-oil (CLZ4) hovered around a multiyear low,
while Brent rebounded from a four-year low.
Metals were mostly lower, pressured by a rise in the dollar.
In Asia, markets closed mixed, while Europe struggled for
direction after eurozone GDP numbers beat forecasts.
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires