Stocks were headed for further gains on Friday, with investors still feeling optimistic about the health of the U.S. economy thanks to a strong batch of retail sales and jobs data. S&P 500 futures rose 0.1% and contracts tied to the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 climbed 0.1%, after both indexes closed at record highs. Figures published Thursday showed retail spending rose at a faster-than-expected rate in June, and the number of jobless claims for last week came in below economists’ expectations.
