U.S. stock futures higher  in pre-market trading for , January 04.The Dow Futures is trading at 22,912.00 up with +1.12% percent or +253.00 point. The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 2,477.75 up with +1.23% percent or +30.00 point.The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 6,257.75  up with +1.55% percent or +95.50 point.

In overnight trading in the Eastern Hemisphere, Japan’s Nikkei 225 is trading at 19,561.96   with a loss of -2.26% percent or -452.81 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is trading at 25,473.49  up with +1.63% percent or +409.13 point. China’s Shanghai Composite is trading at 2,510.77 up with +2,510.77 percent or  +46.40 point. India’s BSE Sensex is trading at 35,573.49 up with +0.15% percent or +54.18  point at 12:15 PM.The FTSE 100 is trading at 6,768.53  up with +1.13% percent or +75.87 point. Germany’s DAX is trading at 10,568.09  up with +1.45% percent or +150.79 point. France’s CAC 40 is trading at 4,661.62  up with +1.09% percent or +50.14 point. The Stoxx Europe 600 is trading at 338.29 up with +1.31% percent or +4.36 point.

Friday’s Factors and Events

China’s commerce ministry said the U.S. and Chinese would hold vice-ministerial level negotiations over trade in Beijing on Jan. 7-8. The two countries are trying to reach a breakthrough to resolve their differences over a 90-day tariffs truce.

On the data front, investors are waiting key data releases, with nonfarm payrolls out at 8.30 a.m. ET; and unemployment data out at the same time. Both figures are relevant to the Federal Reserve and its monetary policy direction. There will also be services PMI at 0945 a.m. ET.

Thursday’s Activity

For the day the Dow is trading at 22,686.22  with  a loss of -2.83% percent or -660.02 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 2,447.89  with a loss of  -2.48% percent or -62.14 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 6,463.50 with a loss of -3.04% percent or -202.43 point.

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,330.83   with a loss of -1.85% percent or -25.07 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 832.81  with a loss of -1.83% percent or 15.52  point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 1,631.56  with a loss of -1.59% percent or -26.37 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,088.03  with a loss of  -2.69% percent or -30.11 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,438.76  with a loss of -2.27% percent or -33.38  point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,351.87   with a loss of -2.34% percent or -32.39 point;