North American stocks may open flat Friday, following yesterday’s rally and a report that showed an unexected rise in the U.S. jobless rate.

U.S. employers added 111,000 jobs to nonfarm payrolls in January, the U.S. Labor Department reported today. That’s below forecasts, but the December reading was revised higher to 206,000. The unemployment rate climbed to 4.6%.

Economists had expected 170,000 new jobs and a 4.5% unemployment rate.

Also, the University of Michigan’s January consumer confidence poll and a report on December factory orders are expected.

There are no major economic releases from Statistics Canada today.

The Canadian dollar opened at US84.6¢, down 0.23 of a cent.

Crude-oil futures rose 27¢ to US$57.57 a barrel.

In earnings news, NYSE Group Inc. swung to a fourth-quarter profit, as results were boosted by the March merger with the Archipelago Exchange.

The operator of the New York Stock Exchange posted a profit of US$45.5 million, compared with a loss of US$20.3 million, a year earlier.

Online retailer Amazon.com reported a 51% decline in quarterly profit even as revenue rose 34%, due largely to strength in its core business. The company also issued guidance for the year that exceeded analyst expectations.

Ericsson lowered its outlook for industry-wide mobile-phone equipment sales in 2007. The share price decline came despite a 14% fourth-quarter profit rise on the back of its Sony Ericsson mobile-phone making joint venture.

Japan’s third-largest car maker, Nissan, cut its profit outlook for the year and reported a 23% profit decline.

British Airways posted a 12% fall in third-quarter net profit amid rising fuel costs and weak sales growth partly due to weather-related cancellations. The airline also trimmed its revenue guidance for the full year.

Overseas, the FTSE 100 advanced 0.6% in London

Stocks rose in Tokyo amid optimism about growth prospects for the U.S. economy, a key export market. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index climbed 27.61 points, or 0.16%, to wrap up the week at 17,547.11 points – the highest close since last April 7.

In Hong Kong, the blue-chip Hang Seng Index rose 133.52 points, or 0.7%, to 20,563.68.

North American stocks powered ahead Thursday, setting fresh all-time records, as optimism over the economy had investors in a bullish mood.

The S&P/TSX composite index rose 110.62 points, or 0.85%, to 13,144.74, besting the record close it set in the previous session.

The financials group gained 1.01%.

Great-West Lifeco Inc. gained 35¢, or 1.01%, to $34.84 after it announced it struck a deal to purchase U.S.-based Putnam Investments Trust for $4.6 billion.

Bank of Montreal gained 43¢, or 0.61%, to $70.44 after making an announcement it would be cutting 1,000 jobs in an effort to boost performance.

The S&P/TSX Venture composite index shot forward 45.93, or 1.56%, to 2,986.21.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrials climbed 51.99 points to 12,673.68, a new record high.

The Nasdaq composite index gained 4.45 points to 2,468.38 while the S&P 500 group moved ahead 7.70 points to 1,445.94.