Following a financial massacre on Thursday, the U.S. stock market was set to decline even further on Friday. More than two hours before the start of trading, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 50 points lower to 11150. The S&P 500 futures slipped 5.5 points to 1231.1, and Nasdaq 100 futures lost 6 points to 1769.75. Changes in futures do not always accurately predict early market moves after the opening bell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 344 points, the S&P 500 fell 38 points and the Nasdaq Composite lost 74 points. Friday's focus will turn to non-farm payrolls, due at 8:30 a.m., EDT. Economists have settled into a grim forecast of 75,000 jobs lost in August, weaker than the 51,000 lost in July. The dollar was little moved before the data. Crude oil futures fell $1.51 to $106.38 a barrel.
