U.S. stock futures rose on Friday. Dow Futures hit 47,542, up 0.11%. S&P 500 Futures touched 6,835, up 0.10%. Nasdaq Futures moved to 25,347.75, up 0.18%. Pre-market gainers were strong. SMX jumped 78.

Silver futures touched the highest intraday level on record Friday, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Strategists who shared commentary with MarketWatch said rising expectations for another Fed rate cut next month have helped push precious metals prices higher.

Asian markets opened cautiously as US futures gained on rising Fed cut bets. However, BoJ hike speculation and strong Japanese data kept risk appetite in check.

A data center fault has halted trading of futures and options on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, triggering widespread frustration.

US stock futures eased after a tech-fueled rally in the S&P 500, as traders look ahead to a slate of economic data to gauge whether optimism over a potential Federal Reserve interest-rate cut can hold up.

Here are the top stories to read ahead of Friday's trading:

Dow Jones futures rose slightly Thursday night, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures.The stock market rally had another solid broad advance. The major indexes moved further above their 50-day moving averages.

US stock futures rose on Monday as rate-cut hopes steadied markets after steep November losses. Dow futures gained 0.3%. S&P 500 futures added 0.6%. Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.9%. The S&P 500 is still down 3.