US pre-open: Stocks seen steady; iRobot surges

US stock futures pointed to a steady open on Friday following solid gains in the previous session.

At 1200 BST, Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 futures were flat, while Nasdaq futures were up 0.1%.

Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets, said: "Wall Street futures are pointing towards a flat start to the week’s final trading session, but the wider view remains one of abundant optimism given the Fed’s hawkish undertone at its latest policy-setting meeting.

"This is leading to some concerns that the market may be moving into bubble territory where valuations on some select stocks are simply now looking to be overblown, but for now it’s the bulls who are firmly in control.

"Fundamentals are thin on the ground for the remainder of the day, although eyes will be on the Michigan Consumer Sentiment readings to see how much weakening sentiment here is driving down inflation following the undershoots seen earlier in the week. Expectations are for a modest month-on-month improvement which would be welcomed, but anything that looks too soft here could reignite fears of the US economy facing a more pronounced slowdown."

In equity markets, shares of iRobot surged more than 20% in pre-market trade after the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority cleared Amazon’s planned $1.7bn acquisition of the Roomba vacuum cleaner maker.

Elsewhere, Virgin Galactic surged after the space-travel firm said it would begin offering commercial space flights this month.

Adobe also looked set to rally after well-received second-quarter earnings.