Futures Pointing To Modestly Lower Open On Wall Street

(RTTNews) - After ending the previous session nearly flat, stocks may move to the downside in early trading on Friday. The major index futures are currently pointing to a modestly lower open for the markets, with the Dow futures down by 18 points.

The downward momentum for the markets may partly reflect recently renewed uncertainty about the outlook for interest rates.

Ahead of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy announcement next Wednesday, some traders may look to move their money into safer havens.

The Fed is expected to announce a further reduction in the pace of its asset purchases, although traders are likely to pay closer attention to any clues about the policy outlook.

On the economic front, the Commerce Department recently released a report showing that U.S. retail sales rose in line with economist estimates in the month of August.

The report said retail sales climbed by 0.6 percent in August following an upwardly revised 0.3 percent increase in July.

Economists had expected retail sales to increase by 0.6 percent after sales in the previous month were originally reported as virtually unchanged.