LONDON (ShareCast) - US stock futures were pointing to a flat to slightly lower start when Wall Street opens on Friday as markets pull back from record levels the day before.

Both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones closed at fresh all-time highs last night jobless claims dropped to a two-month low and a raft of corporate earnings came in better than expected.

After the closing bell however, tech heavyweights Google and Microsoft both missed profit forecasts, dampening sentiment across the technology industry.

Estimate-beating quarterly results from others including General Electric, SunTrust Banks and Honeywell International weren't enough to lift the mood on Friday before the opening bell, as markets look to end the week on a subdued note.

Providing some support to markets was the news that the People's Bank of China is to remove the floor on lending rates for commercial banks.

No major economic data is due for release on Friday in the States.

BC

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