U.S. stock futures added to gains after data showing job growth in May increased slightly more than forecast.
About 55 minutes ahead of the open, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 48 points, or 0.3%, to 16866. Just prior to the release of the data, Dow futures were up 23 points.
S&P 500 index futures advanced four points, or 0.2%, to 1942 and Nasdaq NDAQ -1.21% 100 futures rose seven points, or 0.2%, to 3783. Changes in stock futures don't always accurately predict stock moves after the opening bell.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was little changed at 2.583% from 2.584% late Thursday.
The U.S. economy added 217,000 jobs in May, the government reported, just above expectations of 210,000. The data, showing employment grew at a steady clip in May, provided renewed evidence that the five-year-long recovery accelerated this spring. The jobless rate was unchanged at 6.3% in May, matching the lowest level since September 2008.
"Good news is actually good news now in the marketplace," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at brokerage firm Wunderlich Securities.
On Thursday, the Dow ran up 99 points, or 0.6%, to close at a record high, for the seventh time in 2014, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.7% to its 17th record high this year. Despite the rally to new highs, activity remained muted Thursday, with overall daily volume falling short of the year-to-date average for the 14th-straight session.
Although Friday's payroll data were widely anticipated, traders said a figure within expectations wasn't likely to provide a big boost to activity.
"You've got people frozen in time," Mr. Hogan said before the release of the report. "It's difficult to get new money to come into the market."
Ahead of the release of the jobs report, European markets were broadly higher, extending gains seen Thursday after the European Central Bank's announcement of stimulus measures on Thursday. The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.5%, and was headed for an eighth-straight weekly gain.
Germany's DAX 30 index gained 0.4%, France's CAC 40 added 0.5% and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 tacked on 0.4%.
Asian markets saw weakness, with China's Shanghai Composite shedding 0.5% and Japan's Nikkei Stock Average slipping less than 0.1%.
In corporate news, Bank of America slipped 0.5% in premarket trading, pulling back from a six-week high on Thursday, after The Wall Street Journal reported that the banking giant was in talks to pay at least $12 billion to settle civil probes by the Justice Department into the alleged handling of shoddy mortgages.
Data-center equipment provider Arista Networks priced its initial public offering late Thursday at $43 a share, above the expected to range of $36 to $40. The stock is due to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange Friday under the symbol "ANET."
Hertz Global Holdings slumped 10% after the car rental company said it would have to restate results of the past three years, citing a material weakness in internal financial-reporting controls. Hertz also said fiscal first-quarter results are likely to miss analyst expectations as a result of costs associated with the accounting review.
