Stock futures steady ahead of trade data, Moody’s
China data give Asia and Europe a lift
MADRID (MarketWatch) — U.S. stock-market futures stuck largely to the flat line in cautious trade on Friday, ahead of economic numbers expected to show a narrower trade deficit, while earnings from Moody’s Corp. and AOL Inc. are among reports in the spotlight.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (CBE JH3) fell 1 point to 13,8978, while those for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index (SNC:SPX) rose 1 point to 1,506.30.
Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index (CME:NDH3) rose 4.5 points to 2,746.50.
At 8:30 a.m., the Commerce Department will report December trade figures. Economists forecast that the trade deficit eased more than 6% to $45.5 billion, citing weaker imports, though exports are also seen falling. Data on wholesale inventories are due at 10 a.m. Eastern. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/stock-future...beforebell