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By Edward Krudy | February 27, 2010 5:32 AM EST

Stock index futures were slightly higher on Friday as investors looked ahead to a raft of data, including economic growth, home sales and manufacturing after a disappointing week so far for the economy.

REUTERS
Snow falls on a Wall St. street sign in front of the New York Stock Exchange, February 25, 2010.

A second estimate of gross domestic product from the Commerce Dept before the market opens is expected to confirm the U.S. economy grew at a rate of 5.7 percent in the fourth quarter. The release comes days after weak consumer sentiment and housing data rattled investor confidence.

Confidence will be tested again later Friday, with the release of the Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey, followed by a report on existing home sales from the National Association of Realtors.

"With a plethora of economic data, it's really hard to say we're going to have a good read of what the market looks like in the first hour of trade. We could have a tale of two markets here," said Arthur Hogan, chief market analyst at Jefferies & Co in New York.

(Photo: REUTERS / Brendan McDermid)
Snow falls on a Wall St. street sign in front of the New York Stock Exchange, February 25, 2010.
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