* U.S. stocks higher in early trading
* Intel a boost to S&P 500
* Sterling still fragile (Updates with early U.S. markets activity, changes dateline, previous LONDON)
By Caroline Valetkevitch
NEW YORK, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Global stock indexes were flat to higher on Friday as upbeat earnings offset weaker-than-expected results, while the British pound extended losses from the previous day amid fresh uncertainty around Britain's exit from the European Union.
Strong results from Intel INTC.O helped to buoy the S&P 500 index in early trading, even as Amazon.com Inc AMZN.O shares weighed following the company's forecast for revenue and profit for the holiday quarter below expectations. talks were also back in focus with U.S. and Chinese trade officials due to discuss plans for China to buy more U.S. farm products while Beijing in return will request cancellation of some planned and existing U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. two sides are working to try to agree on a text for a "Phase 1" trade agreement announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 11, in time for him to sign it with China's President Xi Jinping next month at a summit in Chile. Though there are still large gaps to bridge.
The majority of U.S. companies have beaten Wall Street expectations so far this earnings season despite concern about the trade war.
"We've had some misses ... mostly due to trade war concerns, but overall, it looks like we're headed for a fairly good earnings season," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities in New York.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 124.07 points, or 0.46%, to 26,929.6, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 8.16 points, or 0.27%, to 3,018.45 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 31.91 points, or 0.39%, to 8,217.71.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX lost 0.01% and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS gained 0.15%.
The world's largest beer maker by Anheuser-Busch InBev ABI.BR tumbled on disappointing quarterly profit and a glum outlook as the earnings season rumbled on.
Sterling GBP= was last trading at $1.2831, down 0.15% on the day.
Reuters reported a source close to French President Emmanuel Macron said an extension to the negotiations for Britain's departure from the European Union was not justified at this stage. the U.S. bond market, benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR last fell 2/32 in price to yield 1.7714%, from 1.766% late on Thursday.
A Reuters poll of economists showed that most think a steeper decline in global growth is more likely than a synchronised recovery, despite central bank easing. are pricing in a 90% chance of a rate cut at next week's Federal Reserve meeting. the energy front, U.S. crude CLcv1 rose 0.07% to $56.27 per barrel and Brent LCOcv1 was last at $61.59, down 0.13% on the day.
https://tmsnrt.rs/2PitwT5 Global currencies vs. dollar
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