It’s jobs day. The U.S. government is set to release its monthly report on the labor market at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Economists surveyed by CNNMoney forecast that the economy added 180,000 jobs in July, down from 195,000 in June, with the unemployment rate ticking down 0.1% to 7.5%.
The monthly employment numbers influence market sentiment around the world, and U.S. stock futures were edging higher in anticipation of the report.
Also at 8:30 a.m., the government will release its monthly report on personal income and spending. At 10 a.m., the Census Bureau will publish data on factory orders.
In corporate news, Chevron and Viacom are set to report quarterly results before the opening bell.
U.S. stocks rallied Thursday, with the Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 closing at record highs. The S&P climbed 1.3% and closed above 1,700 for the first time ever, while the Dow advanced 0.8% to a record high.
After the closing bell, LinkedIn reported better-than-expected results and boosted its full-year forecast. Shares rose in after-hours trading.
AIG shares also rose in after-hours trading Thursday after the insurer announced plans to reinstate a dividend and buy back shares.
In Europe, the main market indexes were edging up in morning trading, though the gains were very small.
Shares in Royal Bank of Scotland were dropping by roughly 5% after the partially state-owned bank reported earnings results for the first half of the year. The bank also announced it had appointed a new CEO, Ross McEwan.
The major Asian markets ended the week with gains. Japan’s Nikkei index led the way forward with a 3.3% surge as the yen weakened.
