I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.U.S. stock futures edged higher ahead of Friday's open, following a strong rally on Thursday driven by falling oil prices and lower bond yields after the Fed's rate hike. Major indexes closed mixed for the week, with the Nasdaq up 0.3% while the Dow and S&P 500 declined. Investors are now focusing on upcoming comments from Fed officials Michelle Bowman and Jeffrey Schmid for insights into future monetary policy.
U.S. stock futures edged higher ahead of Friday's open after a strong rally in the previous session. Markets rebounded from a sharp sell-off on Wednesday following an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve. Falling oil prices and lower government bond yields also supported stocks.
Futures on the Nasdaq 100 (NDX), the S&P 500 Index (SPX), and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) were up 0.24%, 0.21%, and 0.17%, respectively, as of 1:37 a.m. EDT on September 18.
Oil prices extended their declines as reports that Saudi Arabia could reroute some shipments through Oman eased supply concerns following the closure of a key pipeline after Houthi attacks. However, fresh attacks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis on Thursday kept supply disruption concerns in focus.
At the time of writing, Brent crude (CM:BZ) traded near $104.14 a barrel, while WTI crude (CM:CL) was near $100.90 a barrel.
During Thursday's regular session, all three major U.S. indexes finished higher. Technology stocks led the rally, with chip stocks performing particularly well. The Dow rose 0.61%, the S&P 500 gained 1.14%, and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.69%.
Despite Thursday's gains, the major indexes are headed for a mixed week. As of Thursday's close, the Dow was down 1.5%, while the S&P 500 was lower by 0.3%. The Nasdaq was the only major index in positive territory, up 0.3%.
Looking ahead, investors will focus on comments from Fed officials Michelle Bowman and Jeffrey Schmid for clues about the central bank's outlook for interest rates and the future path of monetary policy.