U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Friday, as investors navigated conflicting comments on the U.S.-China trade front despite signs of a possible softening in Beijing's stance. On a brighter note,

EDT, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.49%, the S&P 500 gained 0.02%, and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.34%.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated no unilateral tariff reduction offer to China, with trade rebalancing potentially taking 2-3 years. Tech stocks surged as Trump softened his stance on firing Fed Chair Powell, with notable gains in Nvidia, AMD, and Apple.