Wall Street pointed slightly lower in early trading Friday but remains on track to close the week with solid gains with major corporations turning in largely healthy earnings reports. Futures for the S&P 500 ticked down 0.

BMO Capital Markets forecasts the S&P 500 will reach 6,700, reflecting a gain of 13.2%. Chief investment strategist Brian Belski said he and his team "remain resolutely bullish," but expect "performance and fundamentals will more closely match the historical norms -- namely, in the high-single digit/low-double-digit percentage range in 2025."

Stocks in Asia moved higher after a morning briefing by Chinese officials showed the government remains determined to boost share prices.