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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.

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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.

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What is it? Automobile sales account for about 20% of Retail Sales, but they tend to be very volatile and distort the underlying trend. The Core data is therefore thought to be a better gauge of spending trends.

When? At 8:30am Eastern Time.

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

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Stocks - U.S. stock indexes opened lower on Thursday after weekly U.S. jobless claims data indicated the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates next month.

St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, a prominent hawk who is ready to increase rates, raised concerns of permanently low rates in industrial nations that could force a rethink of monetary policy.

Economy Indicators - The number of job openings in the U.S. rose more than expected in September, boosting optimism over the strength of the labor market and supporting the case for a U.S. rate hike, official data showed on Thursday.

In a report, the U.S. Labor Department said that the number of job openings, excluding the farming industry, increased to 5.53 million in September from 5.37 million a month earlier. Analysts had expected the number of job openings to hold steady at 5.37 million.

The report has garnered more attention lately, as Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen often cites the survey when assessing the state of the labor market.

Economy Indicators - A signal from European Central Bank president Mario Draghi that further policy easing is coming next month pushed the euro and government bond yields lower on Thursday but failed to lift stocks, which buckled under the weight of gloomy corporate news.

The gap between 5-year U.S. and euro zone bond yields hit its highest since 1999, while the dollar's rebound helped push crude oil to lows not seen since late August and copper to a six-year low.

Commodities - Gold prices sank to the lowest level since February 2010 on Thursday, as investors awaited comments from a range of Federal Reserve speakers for further indications on the likelihood of a December rate hike.

Gold for December delivery on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange shed $5.00, or 0.46%, to trade at $1,079.90 a troy ounce during U.S. morning hours. It earlier fell to $1,073.40, the lowest level in more than five years.

Economy Indicators - The U.S. Federal Reserve must weigh the effects of post-crisis financial regulations and new channels through which policy affects markets as it prepares to raise interest rates, Fed Chair Janet Yellen said on Thursday.

Yellen, kicking off a research conference on policy transmission and implementation after the 2007-2009 financial crisis, said the U.S. central bank also must weigh the disadvantages of its policy actions in light of new tools meant to help the Fed raise rates.

Forex - The U.S. dollar climbed to fresh one-month highs against its Canadian counterpart on Thursday, after data showed that U.S. jobless claims held steady at a two-month high last week, but remained in territory consistent with a strengthening labor market.

USD/CAD hit 1.3339 during European afternoon trade, the pair's highest since October 1; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.3338, gaining 0.54%.

Economy Indicators - New U.S. applications for unemployment benefits last week held steady at levels consistent with sustained labor market strength that could encourage the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next month.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits were unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 276,000 for the week ended Nov. 7, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The prior week's claims were unrevised.

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