Wall Street looked set to round out the week on a positive note on Friday as stock index futures got a boost from a surprise rise in housing starts and a new record in oil prices lifted shares of energy companies.
Stock index futures rose on Friday, after upscale department store chain Nordstrom Inc reported earnings that topped Wall Street estimates and higher oil prices boosted energy companies.
Shares of construction and engineering companies opened mixed as the broader markets slipped following a report that consumer confidence hit a 28-year low while oil prices surpassed $127 a barrel.
Shares of major microchip companies mostly fell with the wider technology market Friday morning, in part because of a new report that found consumer confidence has hit a 28-year low.
WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the closing of two cream cheese and seafood companies for violating food safety laws.
