North American markets are likely to open flat Friday as investors digest modest U.S. retail sales data, consider Dell’s earnings results and await reports on consumer sentiment and business inventories.

After the closing bell Thursday, Dell reported a 25% jump in quarterly profit as business customers increased spending on PCs and foreign markets showed strong demand.

In today’s economic news, U.S. retail sales rose 0.2% in October, the Commerce Department said today, down from a revised 1.6% increase in September. October’s gain was in line with analyst forecasts.

The slowdown was largely due to a 2.2% drop in motor vehicles and parts; auto sales had shot up 4.3% in September amid favorable financing and other incentives.

Later this morning, the University of Michigan releases the consumer sentiment report. Economists look for the preliminary reading on consumer sentiment to have improved in November to 93.0 compared with 91.7 in the final October reading.

The U.S. Commerce Department is also scheduled to report on total business inventories in September. Economists are looking for a 0.4% increase in the inventories.

In today’s business news, Rockwater Capital Corp. has reached a deal to pay about $100 million in cash, stock and debt for KBSH Capital Management Inc., an investment management firm with $6.3 billion in assets under management for pensions, institutions and other clients. Toronto-based Rockwater also said it plans to consolidate its stock on a ratio of one for 10.

South of the border, Connecticut’s attorney general is subpoenaing 42 insurers and brokers for any information that could suggest bid rigging.

Toronto stocks closed higher Thursday after Rogers Communications announced plans to take its wireless arm private, and the heavily weighted financial services group advanced. The S&P/TSX composite index finished up 44.50 points, or 0.5%, at 8,886.17.

Volume was a light 206 million shares because of Remembrance Day ceremonies in Canada and Veterans Day in the United States.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index closed up 12.69 points, or 0.78%, at to 1,645.36.

U.S. stocks also ended higher, helped by technology shares like Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp., which received a brokerage upgrade, and crude oil prices dropping below $48 a barrel.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 84.36 points, or 0.81%, at 10,469.84, its highest close in more than four months

The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 26.71 points, or 1.31%, to 2,061.27, its highest close in seven months.

The broader S&P 500 gained 10.57 points, or 0.91%, to 1,173.48. That is its highest close since August 2001.