US pre-open: Stocks set to edge higher, oil advances

The main US equity gauges were being called to start the session slightly higher on Friday, in one of just a handful of trading sessions left to go in the year.

Both the Dow Jones Industrials and the S&P 500 managed to hit intra-day record highs in the previous session.

There was little in terms of company news-flow for markets to trade off of. Nevertheless, what economic and geopolitical news was to be had served as a reminder of the multiple headwinds which US stocks were still facing.

Earlier in the day, Libyan government forces launched airstrikes against rebel artillery units which had fired on the Es Sider oil export terminal earlier in the week. At last count that Mediterranean country´s oil production was running at approximately 352,000 barrels a day, versus about 850,000 barrels a day reached in October.

In parallel, data out overnight in Japan revealed that real wages fell at a 4.3% year-on-year clip in November, their largest drop since December 2009.

No less important, on Monday Greek parliamentarians will attempt to choose a new president for a third and final time. Should they fail the country faces the prospect of ´snap´ elections.

Front month West Texas crude futures advanced 1.02% to reach $56.41 per barrel on the NYMEX.

US 10-year Treasury yields slipped by two basis points to 2.24%.