U.S. equity futures edged lower in early Friday trading, while Treasury yields and the dollar held steady, as investors braced for a critical January jobs report that could define market direction over the coming weeks.

U.S. stock indexes are holding relatively steady following a mixed report on the job market that analysts said may not change much for financial markets. The S&P 500 was up 0.2% in early trading Friday and remained on track for a modest gain for the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 14.9 points, the S&P 500 fell 0.4 points, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 17.1 points