Futures Pointing To Roughly Flat Open On Wall Street

(RTTNews) - After ending the previous session sharply higher, stocks may show a lack of direction in early trading on Friday. The major index futures are currently pointing to a roughly flat open for the markets, with the Dow futures down by just 16 points.

Uncertainty about the near-term outlook for the markets may lead to choppy trading on Wall Street on the heels of the volatility seen over the past several weeks.

While stocks sold off sharply in mid-August amid concerns about developing economies and the outlook for U.S. interest rates, the markets have shown a notable recovery since then.

The rally on Thursday lifted the Dow and the S&P 500 to their best closing levels in nearly two months, although they remain well off their highs from earlier in the year.

The markets have benefited from signs that the Federal Reserve will hold off on raising interest rates, although lingering concerns about the global economy have limited the upside.

Trading on Friday may be impacted by the Federal Reserve's report on industrial production in the month of September, which is due to be released shortly before the start of trading.

Economists expected industrial production to drop by 0.3 percent in September, extending the 0.4 percent decrease seen in August.

Not long after the open, the University of Michigan is also scheduled to release the results of its preliminary survey on consumer sentiment in the month of October.