FX.co ★ US Futures Rise for 8th Session

Futures tracking US equities edged higher on Friday, poised to extend gains for an eighth consecutive session as geopolitical tensions appeared to ease. Contracts for the S&P 500, the Dow, and the Nasdaq 100 were up as much as 0.3%. President Trump said he was optimistic about making progress with Iran ahead of official meetings this weekend. In addition, signs of steady tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz helped calm recent concerns about an energy-driven inflation shock to the global economy, worries that have weighed on equities since early March. The initial impact of higher energy prices will soon be reflected in data, with US headline CPI for March expected to show the largest increase in two years. Speculative technology stocks were mostly higher in pre-market trading, while financials also gained ahead of next week’s earnings reports.