US stocks look set to open lower in Friday's trading session as investors parse retail sales data released earlier in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were off 0.38%, S&P 500 futures were down 0.51%, and Nasdaq futures were moving 0.77% lower. Oil prices were moving lower, with front-month global benchmarks Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate crude declining 0.70% and 0.73% respectively. Monthly retail sales increased 0.4% in October from September, ahead of the 0.3% expected by analysts.
Meanwhile core retail sales declined 0.1%, compared with the consensus forecast of a 0.3% increase. In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei was up 0.28%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng nudged 0.05% lower, and China's Shanghai Composite fell 1.45%. Meanwhile in Europe's early afternoon session, the markets were treading water with the UK's FTSE 100 down 0.10%, while Germany's DAX and France's CAC were off 0.33% and 0.39%, respectively. In equities, shares of the Arena Group ($AREN) skyrocketed 250% after it reported late Thursday that it swung to a profit in Q3, which it said is its first profitable quarter ever.
Beneficient's ($BENF) shares soared 36% after it reported Thursday that it swung to a profit in fiscal Q2 of 2025. Greenidge Generation's ($GREE) stock jumped 58% after it said Friday that a New York judge overturned the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's denial of its application to renew a Title V Air Permit.
RBB Bancorp ($RBB) shares climbed 6%, adding to a slight gain the previous session. And shares of TC Biopharm ($TCBP) advanced 22%, erasing the bulk of its 30% loss on Thursday. On the losing side, shares of TSS, Inc. ($TSSI) plunged 34% after a 1% gain on Thursday. Quantum Computing's ($QUBT) shares tumbled 32% after it said late Thursday it has agreed to a registered direct offering of 16 million shares of common stock at $2.50 per share for gross proceeds of $40 million.
Shares of Akoya Biosciences (AKYA) dropped 30% after it said late Thursday that it is lowering its 2024 revenue outlook "due to persistent macro challenges." Independent Bank Corporation's ($IBCP) stock shed 26%, adding to a slight loss the previous session. And shares of Midland States Bancorp ($MSBI) fell 25%, adding to a 1.4% loss on Thursday..