• The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 20.95 points, or 0.1 percent, to 21,553.09, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 4.61 points, or 0.19 percent, to 2,447.86 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 13.27 points, or 0.21 percent, to 6,274.44.
Wall Street posted slight gains on Thursday and the Dow hit another record high close, with financials rising ahead of profit reports due Friday from several big U.S. banks.
• Quarterly earnings kick off on Friday with three of the biggest U.S. banks including JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), Wells Fargo (WFC.N) and Citigroup (C.N) reporting results.
• Global stocks scaled record highs on Friday, with Asian equities rising for the fifth straight session, as signs the Federal Reserve will pursue a gradual rate tightening path and hopes of a strong earnings season lifted appetite for risk assets.
The MSCI World Index .MIWD00000PUS was marginally higher early on Friday, hitting a new all-time high. It is on track to end the week 1.6 percent higher.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS advanced 0.25 percent to its highest level in two years. It's set for a 3.2 percent gain for the week.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 added 0.2 percent, poised for a weekly rise of 1.05 percent.
Reference: Reuters
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