08:24 AM EDT, 03/22/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US stock futures were flat in Friday's premarket session after equity indexes closed at record highs on Thursday, as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech, scheduled for 9:00 am ET.

Powell will deliver the opening remarks at a Fed Listens event in Washington on the topic of transitioning to a post-pandemic economy.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were nudging 0.03% lower, S&P 500 futures were off 0.07%, and Nasdaq futures were down 0.18%.

The Baker Hughes North American rig count, which tracks weekly changes in the number of active operating oil and gas rigs, is slated for release at 1 pm ET.

Oil prices were moving slightly lower, with front-month global benchmarks Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate crude declining 0.09% and 0.07%, respectively.

On the winning side, shares of Nova LifeStyle (NVFY) jumped 72% in recent Friday premarket activity, adding to a 22% gain on Thursday. Biolase ( BIOL ) shares surged 52% a day after it reported a narrower Q4 net loss from a year earlier.

On the losing side, shares of Ispire Technology ( ISPR ) plunged 27% after it said Friday it launched a public offering of about 2.1 million shares at $6 each for gross proceeds of $12.3 million. FinWise Bancorp ( FINW ) shares tumbled 10%, adding to a 2% loss on Thursday.