Stock futures edge higher with Bernanke in focus
FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) — Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s speech at an economic conference in Jackson Hole, Wyo., loomed large Friday, with stock index futures posting modest gains as investors held out hopes the central banker will signal a further round of monetary stimulus is in the works.
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (CBOT JU2) rose 40 points, or 0.3%, to 13,022.
S&P 500 Index futures (GLC:SPU2) gained 5.1 points to 1,402.20, while Nasdaq-100 futures (CME:NDU2) advanced 12.25 points to 2,766.
“Traders hope the central bank chief will signal the intention of launching a third round of quantitative easing (QE3). On balance, the doves appear set for a disappointment,” said Ilya Spivak, currency strategist at DailyFX, in emailed comments.
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