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 Most Asian markets skidded early Friday in reaction to the market plunge, while European markets
-- which were open during part of the big U.S. drop -- were narrowly mixed. Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 2.36 percent, while the Shanghai composite dropped 1.10 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.10 percent, Germany's DAX index dropped 0.54 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 0.02 percent.
U.S. investors will look to data on second-quarter GDP, which is due out at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Economists are expecting GDP growth around a 3.6 percent annualized rate, compared with a weak 0.7 percent growth rate in the first three months of the year.
There will be little corporate earnings news for traders to mull over during the session, with about half of the Standard & Poor's 500 index already posting results over the past few weeks. Among the 10 S&P 500 companies due Friday is Chevron Corp., expected to report a profit of $2.30 per share.
Dow futures expiring in September rose 26, or 0.07 percent, to 13,560 ahead of Friday's open, while Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 0.90, or 0.06 percent, to 1,488.80. Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 1.50, or 0.07 percent, at 2,002.00.
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 On Thursday, the Dow plunged 311.50 or 2.26 percent, to 13,473.57 -- the close was its worst since the 416.02 it lost Feb. 27, when a drop in the Shanghai stock market rattled world exchanges.
The S&P 500 fell 35.43, or 2.33 percent, Thursday to 1,482.66. The tech-laden Nasdaq composite index fared somewhat better, falling 48.83, or 1.84 percent, to 2,599.34.
Oil prices might also be a driver for the stock market on Friday as it resumed its rally that was cut short Thursday when stocks plummeted. Light sweet crude on Friday rose 43 cents to $75.38 in premarket trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
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On the Net:
New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com/
Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com/
[Associated Press;
by Joe Bel Bruno]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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