U.S. stock index futures slipped lower Friday, adding to recent losses amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and surging oil prices ahead of a key U.S. jobs report.
At 05:35 ET (10:35 GMT), Dow Jones Futures traded 105 points, or 0.2%, lower, S&P 500 Futures slipped 22 points, or 0.3%, and Nasdaq 100 Futures fell 100 points, or 0.4%.
The main averages on Wall Street fell in the prior session, dragged down by a climb in oil prices as fears continued to swirl around the choking off of supplies through narrow Strait of Hormuz waterway south of Iran.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost nearly 785 points, or 1.6%, putting the index on track for its second negative week in a row and its worst week since last October. The S&P 500 fell about 0.6%, while the NASDAQ Composite dipped nearly 0.3%.
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Surging oil prices hit sentiment
Sentiment has been hit hard this week as the conflict in the Middle East has seen U.S. crude futures spiking by almost 21%, with the fighting spreading to other parts of the Middle East and Persian Gulf, after the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran, threatening oil flows out of the major producing region.
The surge in oil prices added to inflation worries, with average gasoline costs in the U.S. having jumped by 27 cents following the start of the assault to $3.25 per gallon, according to Reuters, citing data from travel group AAA.
