By Barbara Kollmeyer, MarketWatch
Possible cues ahead in Fed officials' comments, readings on
durable goods and consumer sentiment
U.S. stock futures indicated a slightly firmer start on Friday,
with some calm returning to the market after a week of geopolitical
jitters, as North Korea made a restrained response to the U.S.
withdrawal from a planned summit.
Pyongyang held off from turning up the tensions after President
Donald Trump said Thursday he was pulling out of the June
meeting.
Attention is expected to return to the U.S. economy, as Federal
Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and other central bank officials are
in line to speak. Updates on durable goods orders and consumer
sentiment are also on deck.
Markets will be shut on Monday in observance of the Memorial Day
holiday, which may keep trading volumes lighter than normal.
What are markets doing?
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 25 points, or 0.1%, to
24,826, while S&P 500 Index futures added 1.9 points to
2,729.50. Nasdaq-100 climbed 14.5 points, or 0.2%, to 6,972.
On Thursday
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-stock-futures-look-hemmed-in-as-north-korea-gloom-offsets-dovish-fed-2018-05-24),
the Dow finished down 0.3% to 24,811.75, shaking off a loss of as
much as 280.91 points earlier. The S&P 500 fell 0.2%, and the
Nasdaq Composite Index closed less than 0.1% lower at 7,424.43.
As of Thursday, major indexes were looking at mostly modest
weekly gains -- 0.4% for the Dow, 0.6% for the S&P 500 and
close to 1% for the Nasdaq Composite.
What's driving the markets?
Investors will keep an eye on geopolitical headlines. After
President Donald Trump called off a June 12 summit
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-calls-off-summit-with-north-koreas-kim-2018-05-24)
with North Korea, a senior official from Pyongyang said its leader
Kim Jong Un is still willing to meet
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/north-korea-says-its-still-willing-to-meet-trump-any-time-2018-05-24).
U.S. stocks briefly tumbled Thursday on news that Trump had pulled
out, but traders seemed to be finding some reassurance in North
Korea's measured response.
"We express our willingness to sit down face-to-face with the
U.S. and resolve issues anytime and in any format," said Kim Kye
Gwan, a senior North Korea foreign ministry official, in a
statement published by the North's official state media. She was
the same official who had harsher words for the U.S. administration
a week ago.
Investors may also watch to see whether any U.S. companies are
struggling to comply with the new European data protection rules
introduced Friday, seen as a potential risk for online advertising
providers.
Check out:5 things to know about the GDPR rules -- which could
cost big, bad techs dear
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-things-to-know-about-europes-new-data-rules-which-could-cost-big-bad-tech-billions-2018-03-21)
But trading volumes may sag Friday as some investors head out
early to start their long Memorial Day weekend.
What's on the economic docket?
Readings on durable goods orders and core capital-equipment
orders, both for April, are due at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The
University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index for May is
scheduled for release at 10 a.m. Eastern.
Investors will hear from several Fed officials on Friday,
including Chairman Jerome Powell, who will appear on a panel on
financial stability and central bank transparency at a conference
in Stockholm at 9:20 a.m. Eastern.
The presidents of the Chicago and Dallas Feds, Charles Evans and
Rob Kaplan, are expected to speak on a panel at a Dallas Fed
conference on technology and disruption at 11:45 a.m. Eastern.
Which stocks are in focus?
Foot Locker Inc.(FL) is expected to report its first-quarter
earnings ahead of the open.
Apple Inc.(AAPL) may be in focus after Samsung Electronics
Co.(005930.SE) was ordered by a federal jury to pay the iPhone
maker $539 million for infringing patents
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/samsung-must-pay-apple-539-million-in-iphone-patent-case-2018-05-24)
related to phone designs. It's the latest development in a legal
battle that has stretched over seven years.
Read:Amazon's Alexa recorded couple's conversation, sent it to
random contact
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oops-amazons-alexa-recorded-couples-conversation-sent-it-to-random-contact-2018-05-24)
What are other markets doing?
After a cautious session, Asian stocks finished in the red
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/asian-markets-cautious-after-trump-cancels-north-korea-summit-2018-05-24)
for the week, led by a 2% drop for the Nikkei 225 index . European
stockswere trading higher in early action.
The ICE U.S. Dollar Index moved up 0.3% to 93.995. The 10-year
Treasury note yield remained under 3%, at 2.98%.
Gold futures slipped 0.1% to $1,302.80 an ounce, while oil
futures
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-threatens-3rd-straight-drop-as-buildup-in-us-supplies-drags-market-lower-2018-05-24)were
headed for the fourth-straight losing session, down 0.5% to $70.38
a barrel.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 25, 2018 05:00 ET (09:00 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.