Stocks remain positive heading into what may be a sixth straight day of gains.
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Dow Jones futures were rising by 0.21%. The S&P 500 added 0.19% and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.31%.
Asian shares also rose for a fifth straight day on Friday as investor confidence slowly returns after a sharp sell-off earlier in the month.
Japan’s Nikkei ended 1.2 percent higher to 21,720.25. For the week, it rose 1.6 percent.
Iinvestors were relieved to see the government appoint Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda for another term.
Markets in China and Hong Kong were closed for the Lunar New Year.
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In Europe, London’s FTSE, France CAC and Germany’s DAX opened with gains ranging between 0.1%-0.4%.
U.S. stocks shook off another rising inflation report on Thursday as the producer price index climbed, with core PPI growing 2.5% over the past 12 months in its strongest ascent since August 2014.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 306.88 points, or 1.23%, to 25,200.37. The S&P 500 gained 32.57 points, or 1.21%, to 2,731.20. The Nasdaq Composite rose 112.81 points, or 1.58%, to 7,256.43.
“We ended the day with another positive close for US markets in which we’ve seen over 50% of the recent losses recovered in the space of 5 days,” said Michael Hewson, Chief Market Analyst at CMC Markets.
“The reason for the change in sentiment may well be down to the fact that the overall global economic picture continues to remain fairly positive,” added Hewson.
There’s a full plate of economic reports on tap. Investors will digest the latest read on housing starts, also building permits which is an indication of future activity.
There will also be reports on import and export prices and consumer sentiment.
Broadcaster CBS reported quarterly profit and revenue that beat expectations. Shares were slightly higher in after-hours trading.
