Stocks set for a lower open after Bernanke's remarks

U.S. stocks are set for a lower open Friday morning as bulls seemed ready to take a breather from a the week's run. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said late Thursday that the unprecedented loose monetary policy will have to come to an end, but that no interest rate hikes are pending.

On Thursday, major U.S. indexes flirted with 2009 highs after Alcoa (NYSE: AA) reported better-than-expected earnings, department stores reported better-than-expected September sales and jobless claims registered a drop.

More here: Before the bell: Futures decline followin Bernanke's remarks