Stocks eased off their lows but still failed to close in positive territory Friday, as gains were limited following a robust rally in recent weeks and no major news on the economic front gave investors little reason to jump in.
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower open on Wall Street on Friday as investors took profits on Thursday's gains fueled by mostly positive economic data.
Stocks erased most of their earlier gains to finish near the flatline in thin trading Friday, as investors booked profits ahead of the weekend following a robust rally all week. Still, all three major averages posted an impressive gain of over 7 percent for the week.
What follows is a look at stocks in the S&P 1,500 displaying unusual volume in Wednesday's trading session.
Futures held their sharp gains Friday following news employment growth picked up momentum in November while the jobless rate fell to its lowest level in more than two years.
Get Cramer's calls on Seadrill, Banco Santander, Dollar General and more.
Stocks closed near session lows Thursday, reversing three days of gains, as investors remained cautious ahead of Bernanke's Jackson Hole speech on Friday.
Calm European banks = Calm U.S. open. For three weeks, there has been a simple, unfailing indicator for pre-open trading in the U.S.: European banks immediately after the European open. Today, those banks are for the most part fractionally to the upside, as is our market.
Futures turned positive Thursday, as Berkshire Hathaway said it will invest $5 billion in Bank of America. Futures had been under pressure all morning after weekly jobless claims gained more than expected and following news that Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced his resignment.
Technical analysis works well in certain situations, Cramer said. This is how you use it to your advantage.