NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street was set to open little changed on Friday, a day after the S&P 500 rose to its highest level in five years, as a weak outlook from Intel was weighed against encouraging data out of China and a fourth-quarter profit at Morgan Stanley
Shares of Intel Corp
Futures got a lift after Morgan Stanley reported a fourth-quarter profit after a year-earlier loss, helped by higher revenue at the bank's institutional securities business. Its stock jumped 6.6 percent to $22.10 in premarket trading.
Economic data out of China provided some support to the market, though the focus remained on U.S. corporate earnings. The country's economy grew at a modestly faster-than-expected 7.9 percent in the fourth quarter, the latest sign the world's second-biggest economy was pulling out of a post-global financial crisis slowdown which saw it grow in 2012 at its weakest pace since 1999.
S&P 500 futures rose 0.8 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures added 7 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures lost 6.25 points.
Stronger-than-expected U.S. economic data boosted the S&P 500 on Thursday to its highest level in five years. The index is now just 5.6 percent from a record closing peak of 1,565.15.
It would be a normal reaction for investors to take a pause to lock in recent gains, said Andre Bakhos, director of market analytics at Lek Securities in New York, but any weakness in the market could also be a buying opportunity.
"It's the type of market where it's starting to gain momentum and if investors miss the run, they're going to be behind the eight ball early in the year," said Bakhos.
General Electric
Johnson Controls
Overall, S&P 500 company earnings are expected to have risen 2.3 percent in the fourth quarter, Thomson Reuters data showed. Expectations for the quarter have dropped considerably since October, when a 9.9 percent gain was estimated.
Shares of Research In Motion
On the economic front, a report on consumer sentiment in early January will be released at 9:55 am ET (1455 GMT).
(Editing by Bernadette Baum)
Wall Street to open mixed on earnings, China data
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Wall Street to open mixed on earnings, China data
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