NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - U.S. stocks looked to a positive start Thursday, boosted by a better-than-expected reading on manufacturing ahead of the opening bell.

Just after 8:35 a.m. ET, futures pointed to a higher open for the major indexes.

Before the open, the government said durable goods orders in June surged 2.1 percent, compared with an 0.4 percent slide in May. The report was significantly better than the gain of 1.2 percent expected by economists, on average.

The housing numbers come about a half-hour after the bell. The government is expected to report a decline in June new home sales to an annual rate of 1.11 million from 1.16 million in May, according to a consensus of economists surveyed by Briefing.com. At the same time, the National Association of Realtors is projected to post an annual existing home sales rate of 6 million, up from 5.92 million in June.

After a surprise drop in weekly unemployment claims Thursday, which slid below a key level signifying growth in the labor market for the first time in more than 5 months, investors were encouraged by the better manufacturing report and eagerly awaited the next group of economic reports for any signs of improved conditions.

Investors also continued to focus on corporate fiscal results for the second quarter, eyeing forecasts for the second half of the year particularly closely.

Despite posting a profit that was 2 cents a share above the First Call analysts' consensus late Thursday, investors weren't too happy with eBay (EBAY: Research, Estimates), whose shares fell $4.85 in Instinet after-hours trading Thursday to $110.89. The company also approved a 2-for-1 stock split effective next month.

For details of Thursday's pullback, click above

Before the open, Pfizer (PFE: Research, Estimates), the world's No. 1 drugmaker, posted operating earnings of 30 cents a share after one-time charges, beating analyst estimates by a penny.

Paper and wood products producer Weyerhaeuser (WY: Research, Estimates) was also slated to report results.

Both major indexes are in the red for the week going into the final trading session. The Dow Jones industrial average is more than 75 points down after a 0.9 percent drop Thursday. The Nasdaq composite index is 7 points lower for the week after a 1 percent tumble (see chart for details).

Asian-Pacific stocks ended mostly higher Friday, but Tokyo's Nikkei index retreated 0.2 percent. European markets were mostly lower in midday trading. (Check the latest on world markets)

Among U.S. stocks trading in Europe, Wyeth (WYE: Research, Estimates) was slightly higher after the House passed a measure, over Bush administration objections, allowing Americans to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and Europe.

Treasury prices turned lower after the durable goods report, sending the 10-year note yield up to 4.20 percent from 4.18 percent late Thursday. The dollar slipped against the yen and was little changed against the euro.

Brent oil futures pulled back 16 cents to $28 a barrel in London, where gold rose above $360 an ounce.