Stocks moved notably higher at the start of trading on Friday, partly offsetting the weakness that was seen in the previous session. The major averages have all moved back to the upside after ending Thursday's trading in the red.
The major averages have recently pulled back off their highs for the young session but are currently holding on to modest gains. The Dow is up 41.33 points or 0.3 percent at 15,274.55, the Nasdaq is up 10.94 points or 0.3 percent at 3,476.19 and the S&P 500 is up 5.66 points or 0.3 percent at 1,656.13.
The early strength on Wall Street comes as some traders buy on the dip that was seen on Thursday, which reflected some disappointing U.S. economic data as well as worries about the Federal Reserve paring back its asset purchase program.
Buying interest has also been generated by a report from the Conference Board showing that its leading economic indicators index for China rose 1.5 percent in April following a 0.6 percent drop in March. Four of the six components contributed positively to the index.
Andrew Polk, resident economist at the Conference Board China Center in Beijing, said, "The LEI for China rebounded in April primarily due to renewed real estate activity and credit expansion. But both factors remain major wild cards for growth."
Shortly, the Conference Board is scheduled to release a separate report on leading economic indicators in the U.S. Economists expect the Conference Board's leading economic index to rise by 0.3 percent in April after edging down by 0.1 percent in March.
Oil service stocks have shown a substantial move to the upside in early trading, benefiting from a notable increase by the price of crude oil. With crude for June delivery climbing $0.91 to $96.07 a barrel, the Philadelphia Oil Service Index is up by 1.9 percent.
Steel, defense, and housing stocks are also seeing early strength, while most of the major sectors have shown more modest moves to the upside.
On the other hand, gold stocks have come under pressure in early trading, moving lower along with the price of the precious metal.
In overseas trading, stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region moved mostly higher during trading on Friday. Japan's Nikkei 25 Index advanced by 0.7 percent, while China's Shanghai Composite Index surged up by 1.4 percent.
The major European markets have also moved to the upside on the day. While the German DAX Index has risen by 0.3 percent, the French CAC 40 Index and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index are both up by 0.5 percent.
In the bond market, treasuries are giving back some ground after moving sharply higher in the previous session. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, is up by 4 basis points at 1.905 percent.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.