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U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat to lower open on Friday, as investors await the latest economic releases and speeches from Federal Reserve members, while maintaining a close eye on oil.
A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Dow futures fell about 30 points after Deutsche Bank downgraded Caterpillar shares, while S&P futures rose 1.5 points and Nasdaq futures traded flat.
On the final day of trading for the week, economic data is expected to keep investors busy with manufacturing PMI data and services PMI data due out at 9:45 a.m. ET, followed by the latest new home sales data, out at 10 a.m. ET.
Earnings-wise, Blackberry is set to report its latest corporate results.
On the central bank front, a whole host of speeches are set to take place by Fed officials on Friday. In Nashville, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard is expected to appear at the Illinois Bankers Association's annual conference, where he is expected to comment upon the U.S. economy and monetary policy.
Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester will be at the 2017 Policy Summit on Housing, Human Capital, and Inequality in Cleveland, where she's likely to talk about community development.
In the meantime, Fed Governor Jerome Powell will be speaking at The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Symposium on Central Clearing.
The speeches come just a day after the central bank revealed that 34 of the U.S.' largest banks had all cleared the first stage of an annual stress test.
Oil continues to dominate sentiment in markets on Friday, as prices showed signs of recovery following the sharp declines seen earlier this week.
On Friday, prices edged higher with U.S. crude trading around $42.88 at 8:27 a.m. ET, while Brent hovered around $45.38, however, glut concerns still weigh on market sentiment.
In Europe, bourses were trading lower, while Asia-Pacific markets finished trade on a relatively mixed note.
In the previous session, U.S. stocks closed mixed, with the health care sector posting strong gains.