US futures point to a positive open; countdown to government shutdown looms
U.S. stock index futures posted gains ahead of the open on Friday, as investors paid close attention to the political space, as government shutdown concerns continue to linger. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 93 points, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 9 points and 34 points, respectively. In the previous trading session, U.S. stocks closed lower with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing almost 100 points down as political news weighed. On Thursday night, however, the House passed a bill to avoid a government shutdown, forwarding it to the Senate. Sixty votes are needed from the Senate to pass the spending bill in order to get it sent to President Donald Trump's desk. Whether enough votes will emerge remains up in the air, as several Democrats have committed to voting down the bill. Congress has to pass the bill by the end of Friday to avoid a shutdown. Earnings will likely move the needle somewhat during trade. Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) , Citizens Financial (NYSE: CFG) , SunTrust (NYSE: STI) and Synchrony Financial (NYSE: SYF) are some of the names set to report financial updates. In data news, consumer sentiment is due out at 10 a.m. ET. On the U.S. central bank front, two speeches by Federal Reserve members are set to take place.In Washington, Fed Governor Randal Quarles is set to be present at the American Bar Association Banking Law Committee's annual meeting.Meanwhile, San Francisco Fed President John Williams will be in San Francisco, where he is set to speak at the "Bay Area Council Economic Institute's 11th Annual Economic Forecast Conference: Visualizing the Future of the Bay".—CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report U.S. stock index futures posted gains ahead of the open on Friday, as investors paid close attention to the political space, as government shutdown concerns continue to linger. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 93 points, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 9 points and 34 points, respectively. In the previous trading session, U.S. stocks closed lower with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing almost 100 points down as political news weighed. On Thursday night, however, the House passed a bill to avoid a government shutdown, forwarding it to the Senate. Sixty votes are needed from the Senate to pass the spending bill in order to get it sent to President Donald Trump's desk. Whether enough votes will emerge remains up in the air, as several Democrats have committed to voting down the bill. Congress has to pass the bill by the end of Friday to avoid a shutdown. Earnings will likely move the needle somewhat during trade. Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) , Citizens Financial (NYSE: CFG) , SunTrust (NYSE: STI) and Synchrony Financial (NYSE: SYF) are some of the names set to report financial updates. In data news, consumer sentiment is due out at 10 a.m. ET. On the U.S. central bank front, two speeches by Federal Reserve members are set to take place. In Washington, Fed Governor Randal Quarles is set to be present at the American Bar Association Banking Law Committee's annual meeting. Meanwhile, San Francisco Fed President John Williams will be in San Francisco, where he is set to speak at the "Bay Area Council Economic Institute's 11th Annual Economic Forecast Conference: Visualizing the Future of the Bay". —CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report
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