US stock futures point to slightly lower open

The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, March 12, 2014, photo, traders Jeffrey Vazquez, left, and James Denaro work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Most global stock markets fell sharply Friday March 14, 2014 over persistent concerns about weakness in the Chinese economy and tensions in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

The U.S. stock market appeared poised for a slightly lower session Friday after a rough fall the day before. The three major indexes lost more than 1 percent on Thursday, making it the worst day for the market in six weeks.

KEEPING SCORE: As of 8:50 a.m. Eastern time, Dow Jones industrial average futures were down 36 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,011. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures were down four points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,836. Nasdaq futures were down four points, or 0.1 percent, to 3,640.

PRICE WATCH: The Labor Department said Friday that the prices companies are paid for goods and services fell slightly in February, the latest sign of tame inflation. The producer price index, a measure of prices before they reach shoppers, dropped 0.1 percent in February. It was the first slip since November.

RETAIL RESULTS: Aeropostale slumped 17 percent ahead of the opening bell, after it reported a wider loss late Thursday. The operator of clothing stores for teenagers also warned of tough times ahead.

EUROPE: Major European stock markets were heading lower. In the U.K., the FTSE 100 index was down 0.6 percent while Germany's DAX fell 0.7 percent. The CAC-40 in France was 1.3 percent lower. In Russia, the main RTS index took a hard fall, dropping 3 percent. For the year, the index is down 28 percent.

ASIA: Japan's Nikkei 225 stock had a particularly bad session, falling 3.3 percent. As a result, the index ended the week 6 percent lower. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1 percent.