U.S. futures inch mostly up ahead of shortened trading day - what's moving markets

investing.com:

Investing.com -- U.S. futures edged mainly into the green ahead of a truncated trading day. American shoppers will be on the hunt for deals this Black Friday as retail companies warn that inflation-squeezed consumers may be more careful about spending big this holiday season. Elsewhere, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) workers and activists in Europe plan protests and strikes aimed at disrupting the e-commerce giant's massive delivery network during its ongoing ten-day sales event.

1. Futures inch mostly higher

U.S. stock futures pointed mostly up prior to a shortened trading day on Wall Street on Friday.

By 04:52 ET (09:52 GMT), the Dow futures contract had added 63 points or 0.2%, S&P 500 futures rose by 6 points or 0.1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures had climbed by 19 points or 0.1%.

Markets in the U.S., which were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, are scheduled to shutter early. In the last full trading day of the week on Wednesday, equities rose thanks in part to economic data which fueled optimism that the Federal Reserve's campaign of interest rate hikes may have peaked.

Retailers will likely be in the spotlight, as they attempt to persuade customers to open up their wallets for Black Friday, the annual sales spree that typically kicks the crucial holiday shopping season into full gear. But with inflation high and borrowing costs elevated, many of these firms have flagged that American consumers may not be as willing as usual to spend on big-ticket items during the final weeks of the year.

2. S&P Global U.S. manufacturing PMIs ahead

The economic calendar in the U.S. is mostly sparse on Friday, save for the release of the November manufacturing purchasing managers' index from financial information group S&P Global.

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