Stock comeback seen

U.S. futures edge higher as talk of bank asset sales could help markets recover from selloff on Pakistan strife.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Wall Street is set to recover slightly Friday after a big selloff on the assassination of Pakistan's ex-prime minister, with talk of big bank asset sales helping to boost futures.
At 6:25 a.m. ET, Nasdaq and S&P futures were higher.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that major U.S. and European banks, including Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) and Britain's HSBC (HBC), are considering the sale of branches and various units. The sales would be an effort to recover from the hit the banks have taken in 2007 from the global credit crunch.
Asian markets tumbled in the first trading following the slaying of Benazir Bhutto. Japan's Nikkei index was down 1.7 percent in the final trading session of 2007, with the Nikkei ending the year 11.1 percent lower than a year earlier.
Oil was slightly higher. U.S. light crude gained 7 cents to $96.69 a barrel in electronic trading.
The dollar fell against the euro and yen.
After the opening bell, the government will issue its report on new home sales for November. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com expect a decline in the annual rate to 715,000 from 728,000 in October.
Among stocks in the news Friday: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Genesco (GCO) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).