Stocks Set to Close Out Week on Down Note

The U.S. Justice Department won’t pursue criminal charges against Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) or its employees for allegedly concealing bets against the housing market. The Justice Department, along with the U.S. prosecutors, reviewed the possibility of prosecution after the Goldman Sachs deals were faulted in a Senate report last year, and they concluded there wasn’t enough evidence.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has reportedly started telling its employees that they may offer discounts of $49 on the iPhone 4 and 4S to customers who cite lower prices found elsewhere. The move is a rarity for the tech giant, but comes as it readies the new iPhone set to hit store shelves Sept. 12.

There's a new national shopping holiday, and it's tomorrow. Teen Vogue has named it "Back-to-School Saturday."  With an official day, retailers can better target shoppers preparing to send the kids off to school with deals like free haircuts at JC Penney (NYSE:JCP), and special discounts at stores like Gap (NYSE:GPS), Staples (NASDAQ:SPLS), Loft, Target (NYSE:TGT), Macy's (NYSE:M), and Kmart.

The back-to-school season is typically the second biggest shopping season after the winter holidays. The National Retail Federation says Americans will spend $688 each.

Popular English soccer club Manchester United (NASDAQ:MANU) will debut on the New York Stock Exchange Friday. The team raised a disappointing $233 million by offering shares for $14 each. Man U was hoping to raise more than $300 million and price shares as high as $20.  The deal values the Red Devils at $2.3 billion.

Many investors say the price tag is still too high, and they're annoyed with team owners for loading the club with debt and then using the IPO proceeds to pay some of it down, rather than attracting new players or upgrading the stadium.

Overall, U.S. futures are pointing to a lower open, with Dow futures off 43 points.  The blue-chip average lost 10 points yesterday, ending a 4-day winning streak. But the S&P 500's small gain extends the broader market's rally into day five. The Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 are all higher for the week.