Wall Street pointed higher early Friday as more strong earnings results trickled in, the Associated Press reports. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.5%, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.3%, and Nasdaq futures climbed 0.8%.
Exxon Mobil shares ticked up less than 1% after the energy giant posted strong fourth quarter profits that beat Wall Street’s forecast. Exxon credited increased production in the U.S. Permian basin and in Guyana for the strong results, even though revenue came in lower than expected.
Apple hit both sales and profit targets when it reported its latest results after the bell on Thursday and its shares rose 4.2% overnight. Investors were pleased with the iPhone maker’s revenue forecast, which called for sales to at least match or exceed analyst projections for the January–March quarter.
Walgreens Boots Alliance tumbled 12% after it announced that it was suspending its quarterly dividend for the first time in more than 90 years. The news comes after the struggling pharmacy chain said this fall that it was closing about 1,200 locations.
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude added 24 cents to $72.97 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 16 cents to $76.05 per barrel.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar rose to 154.86 Japanese yen from 154.18 yen.
