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Stocks: U.S. stocks opened slightly lower on Friday, weighed down by weak October retail sales data and disappointing forecasts from department store chains as well as Cisco (O:CSCO).

The Dow Jones industrial average (DJI) fell 37.95 points, or 0.22 percent, to 17,410.12. The S&P 500 (SPX) lost 5.33 points, or 0.26 percent, to 2,040.64 and the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) dropped 24.05 points, or 0.48 percent, to 4,981.03.

Economic Indicators: U.S. retail sales rose less than expected in October amid a surprise decline in automobile purchases, suggesting a slowdown in consumer spending that could temper expectations of a strong pickup in fourth-quarter economic growth. The Commerce Department said on Friday retail sales edged up 0.1 percent last month after being unchanged in September.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales increasing 0.3 percent in October after a previously reported 0.1 percent increase in September. Sales at auto dealerships fell 0.5 percent last month after rising 1.4 percent in September. The decline is surprising given that motor vehicle manufacturers reported strong sales for October.

Stocks: Volkswagen (DE:VOWG_p) has set a deadline at the end of November for its whistleblower program designed to encourage workers to disclose information about the carmaker's two emissions scandals in a move to speed up investigations.

Europe's largest carmaker has been making slow progress in finding out who had knowledge of the rigging of diesel emissions tests two months after the manipulations became public in the United States, and last week also admitted to cheating on carbon dioxide emissions certifications.

Commodities: Brent crude edged up from a sharp drop on Friday, but was on track for the biggest weekly loss in more than two months as swelling stocks weighed on the market.

The International Energy Agency said there was a record 3 billion barrels in tanks worldwide.

"The underlying sentiment is bearish," said PVM analyst Tamas Varga. "I don't see anything that could support prices rising in the long term."

Forex: The dollar rose against the other major currencies on Friday, recovering from mild losses posted after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen gave no indication on the timing of a potential rate hike as investors awaited the release of U.S. data later in the day.

USD/JPY edged up 0.15% to 122.77.

The dollar weakened mildly after Fed Chair Janet Yellen refrained from giving any indications on the near-term outlook for the U.S. economy or monetary policy in a speech on Thursday.

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Growth in the eurozone slowed to 0.3 percent in the third quarter, compared with the previous quarter when it grew by 0.4 percent. Germany, the region's largest economy, also slowed down to grow by 0.3 percent as falling exports weighed on economic growth.

Germany's growth figure matched market expectations but was slower than the 0.4 percent expansion in the previous quarter, while the GDP for the 19-nation eurozone was below market expectations of 0.4 percent. Growth in the 28-nation European Union held steady at 0.4 percent, according to official data.

In Germany, where the economy is driven by exports, higher spending by households and the government helped offset declines in foreign trade, the country's official statistics agency said.

"According to preliminary estimates, growth was held back by foreign trade because imports rose far more strongly than exports," the agency added. Germany expanded 1.7 percent from a year earlier if adjusted seasonally.

France’s GDP also grew 0.3 percent last quarter, a separate data released earlier showed. GDP figures for the largest eurozone economies have lagged due to weak trade performance. Data showed Italy and Netherlands also reported marginal expansions Friday, while Portugal was flat and Finland reported a small decline in its economy.

The third quarter was also marred by Greece’s near-exit from the bloc, denting investor confidence in the region. The bloc's waning growth may reportedly encourage the European Central Bank to hold off on a hike in interest rates even as investors expect the U.S. Federal Reserve to hike rates for the first time in nine years at its December meeting.

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13

Nov

It's Friday the 13th. Do you feel (Un)lucky?

What is it? Financial confidence is a leading indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for a majority of overall economic activity.

When? At 10:00am Eastern Time.

Trading Tip: If the actual number is higher than the forecast, you can expect the USD to rise.

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What is it? It's the primary gauge of consumer spending, which accounts for the majority of overall economic activity.

When? At 8:30am Eastern Time.

Trading Tip: If the actual number is higher than the forecast, you can expect the USD to rise.

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: 

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Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

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What is it? It's a leading indicator of consumer inflation - when producers charge more for goods and services the higher costs are usually passed on to the consumer.

When? At 8:30am Eastern Time.

Trading Tip: If the actual number is higher than the forecast, you can expect the USD to rise.

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

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