09:11 AM EDT, 07/18/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity futures were flat ahead of Friday's opening bell as markets took a breather after new record closing highs for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq on Thursday.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures were all up nearly 0.1%.

Oil prices were higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 1.2% at $70.39 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 1.5% higher at $68.57 per barrel.

The housing starts bulletin, released at 8:30 am ET, showed housing starts increased to an annual rate of 1.321 million in June from 1.263 million previously, compared with estimates compiled by Bloomberg for a smaller increase to 1.3 million. Meanwhile, permits increased to 1.397 million in the same month from 1.394 million previously, versus estimates for a decrease to 1.387 million.

The Consumer Sentiment index, due at 10 am ET, is seen coming in at 61.4 in July versus 60.7 previously.

In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.2% lower, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 1.3% higher, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.5% higher. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 was up 0.2%, and Germany's DAX index was down 0.2% in Europe's early afternoon session.

In equities, Charles Schwab ( SCHW ) shares were 5% higher pre-bell after the company posted higher Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue. Mesoblast (MESO) stock was up more than 26% after the company said late Thursday it generated $13.2 million in gross sales of its steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease treatment Ryoncil since its commercial launch on March 28 through June 30.

On the losing side, Viatris ( VTRS ) shares were 4% lower after the company said a phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of MR-139 ophthalmic ointment in subjects with blepharitis failed to achieve its primary endpoint. BlackSky Technology ( BKSY/WS ) stock was down 19% after the company priced a $160 million private debt offering.