The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rose on Friday, as Apple gained following a strong sales forecast and a reading of the U.S. central bank's favored inflation gauge reinforced expectations that the Fed would keep interest rates unchanged for longer.

The S&P 500 has gained about 3% while China's CSI 300, which has been closed toward the end of the month due to new year's celebrations, has lagged other indexes. U.S. stock market futures higher traded higher on Friday,

Stock index futures were higher on Fridays, with Nasdaq futures leading the pack, as Apple and Intel's earnings reports brought cheer, while the inflation gauge came in line with expectations. S&P 500 futures (SPX) +0.