Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 were up 0.2 to 0.3 percent by 3.53 a.m. ET, pointing to a firmer start on Wall Street on Friday.

Shares of Boston Scientific Corp rose about 2 percent to $7.12 after the bell on Thursday following news that the company had hired a financial adviser to sell two units. Sources told Reuters the company aimed to sell Target Therapeutics and Advanced Bionics.

Commerce Dept releases at 10 a.m. wholesale inventories for February. Economists in a Reuters survey forecast inventories to rise by 0.4 percent versus a drop of 0.1 percent in January.

U.S. Federal Reserve officials again reiterated their commitment to low interest rates for an extended period on Thursday, given the fragile nature of the economic recovery, and suggested a reduction in the size of the central bank's balance sheet could take as long as two decades.

At 1430 GMT, Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI) releases its weekly index of economic activity for April 2. In the prior week the index read 131.9.

Shares of Ambac Financial Group Inc jumped 20 percent after the bell on Thursday after the company posted its quarterly results.

News Corp's New York Post and Wall Street Journal are offering discounted advertisement prices, the Financial Times wrote, citing people familiar with the plan. The ad price cuts come as the Wall Street Journal prepares to launch a New York edition later this month, the FT said.

Shares of Joe's Jeans Inc fell 11.6 percent to $3.05 in extended trading on Thursday after the company posted results.

Oil rebounded to trade above $86 a barrel after two days of declines, as positive U.S. economic indicators and views that China may revalue its currency bolstered expectations for sustained energy demand growth.

Constellation Brands, maker of Robert Mondavi and Clos du Bois wines, reports fourth-quarter results.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top shares rose 1.1 percent in early trade on Friday, recouping the previous session's losses <.EU>, while Japan's Nikkei average <.N225> rose 0.3 percent on Friday, with gains in retailers offsetting profit-taking in the wake of the index's recent rally to 18-month highs <.T>.

U.S. stocks gained on Thursday after surprisingly strong March retail sales increased optimism that the economic recovery is on track.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 29.55 points, or 0.27 percent, to 10,927.07. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 3.99 points, or 0.34 percent, to 1,186.44. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 5.65 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,436.81.

(Reporting by Atul Prakash; editing by Simon Jessop)