U.S. stock futures climbed early Friday to finish the holiday-shortened trading week in positive territory. Markets were closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving and will close early at 1 p.m. ET today for Black Friday.
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Futures on the Nasdaq 100 (NDX), the S&P 500 (SPX), and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) were up 0.16%, 0.02%, and 0.05%, respectively, at 3:18 a.m. EST on November 28.
All three major indexes are set to deliver their best Thanksgiving-week gains in over 13 years. By Wednesday’s close, the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite had risen 2.6%, 3.2%, and 4.2%, respectively. These gains were driven by renewed optimism in AI stocks and heightened expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in December.
However, stocks are poised for a monthly decline when trading resumes today. A drop in technology shares has pressured the major indexes throughout November, amid growing uncertainty about the future profitability of AI firms.
No important economic reports or earnings releases are scheduled for today.
Notably, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield was up, floating near 4.02%. WTI crude oil futures were trending higher, hovering near $59.08 per barrel as of the last check. Additionally, the Gold Spot U.S. dollar price increased to nearly $4,180 per ounce on Friday.
Elsewhere, in Europe, markets opened mostly higher on Friday, supported by positive economic data and ongoing optimism about easing inflation pressures.
Asia-Pacific Markets Traded Mixed
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Friday. Japan’s core inflation for October came in hotter than expected at 2.8%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.21%, grappling with the aftermath of the recent deadly Tower fire. In China, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.34%, while the Shenzhen Component advanced 1.25%. Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.17%, while the Topix climbed 0.29%.
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