By Alexandra Gibbs, CNBC–
U.S. stock index futures fluctuated ahead of Friday’s open.
Around 5:10 a.m. ET, Dow futures rose 1 point, indicating an upbeat open of 19.07 points. Futures on the S&P 500 were indicating a relatively flat open of 1.80 points up, while Nasdaq futures signaled an open of 1.68 points up.
Investors on Wall Street will likely be keeping an eye on the political sphere. Friday morning is expected to see the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, amid allegations of misconduct against the nominee.
On Thursday, Kavanaugh appeared in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, amid multiple accusations of misconduct and a testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, who testified to the committee Thursday that Kavanaugh had drunkenly pinned her to a bed and groped herat a high school gathering in 1982. During the nominee’s opening remarks, Kavanaugh labelled his confirmation process a “national disgrace.”
Elsewhere, investors continue to keep an eye on trade developments between the U.S. and major economies, including Canada and China, as trade tensions continue to ratchet up.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is set to welcome Chile’s President Sebastián Piñera to the White House, where the two leaders will likely comment on pro-growth policies, combating corrupt and illicit networks and cybersecurity.
On the data front, personal income, consumer spending and core PCE figures are due out at 8:30 a.m. ET, followed by Chicago purchasing managers’ index data at 9:45 a.m. ET and consumer sentiment at 10 a.m. ET.
In corporate news, Blackberry and Vail Resorts are scheduled to publish earnings.
Meantime, investors will be keeping a close eye on Tesla, after news emerged that its CEO Elon Musk had been sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission for fraud, according to court documents filed Thursday. While sources close to the company told CNBC that the firm was also expecting to be sued, Tesla wasn’t however named as a defendant in the complaint. In extended trading, Tesla shares tanked over 13 percent and Musk called the SEC’s allegations of fraud as “unjustified.”
New York Fed President John Williams is set to deliver remarks at the “Reserve Reductions, Money Markets, and Future Frameworks” conference in New York.
On Thursday, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said in Washington that there was not a high chance of the U.S. economy facing a recession in the coming two years, while adding that the central bank would continue to gradually increase rates; Reuters reported.
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