After concluding Thursday's trading with minimal movement, the key U.S. stock benchmarks could see a mixed bag in early Friday action.

Futures on the major indexes indicate a split opening, as Nasdaq 100 contracts climb 0.5 percent and S&P 500 futures gain 0.2 percent, while Dow futures slip 0.2 percent.

The technology-focused Nasdaq may get a lift from Netflix (NFLX) shares, which are jumping 6.6 percent in pre-market trade.

Netflix's surge follows its third-quarter earnings release, which surpassed Wall Street forecasts for both revenue and profit.

Conversely, American Express (AXP) shares are dragging on the Dow, declining 2.1 percent ahead of the bell.

The credit card company's third-quarter profits topped estimates, but revenue came in below projections, fueling the sell-off.

Procter & Gamble (PG), another Dow member, is also sliding after its fiscal first-quarter sales fell short of expectations.

On the economic front, the Commerce Department reported a slight decline in U.S. housing starts for September.

Housing starts dropped 0.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.354 million last month, following a 7.8 percent revised increase to 1.361 million in August.

This matched forecasts closely, with economists anticipating a 0.4 percent dip to 1.350 million from the originally reported 1.356 million prior figure.

Building permits, a key gauge of upcoming housing activity, plunged 2.9 percent to 1.428 million in September after a 4.6 percent rise to a revised 1.470 million in August.

Analysts had projected a 1.0 percent decrease to 1.460 million from the previous month's original 1.475 million reading.

Thursday's session featured early gains that faded late, leaving indexes nearly unchanged - though the Dow notched a fresh record close.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 161.35 points, or 0.4 percent, to 43,239.05. The Nasdaq Composite inched up 6.53 points, or 0.04 percent, to 18,373.61, while the S&P 500 dipped 1.00 point, or 0.02 percent, to 5,841.47.

Asia-Pacific markets mostly advanced Friday. Japan's Nikkei 225 added 0.2 percent, China's Shanghai Composite soared 2.9 percent, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged 3.6 percent.

European bourses are mixed today: the U.K. FTSE 100 falls 0.2 percent, but Germany's DAX rises 0.4 percent and France's CAC 40 gains 0.7 percent.

Commodity markets show oil futures easing $0.15 to $70.52 per barrel after Thursday's $0.28 uptick to $70.67. Gold futures, up $16.20 to $2,707.50 yesterday, now rally $23.40 to $2,730.90 per ounce.

The U.S. dollar trades at 149.84 yen, down from 150.21 yen at Thursday's New York close. Versus the euro, it stands at $1.0855, firmer than $1.0831.