STOCK MARKET WATCH -- Thursday, 4 October 2012

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21. U.S. Stock Futures Gain on Better-Than-Forecast Jobs Data

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-04/u-s-stock-futures-gain-before-ecb-policy-decision.html

U.S. stock futures rose, indicating the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index will climb for a fourth day, as jobless claims increased less than economists forecast and European policy makers held borrowing costs at record lows.
Bank of America Corp. (BAC) and Citigroup Inc. (C) each gained 1 percent to pace advances among financial shares. Gap Inc. (GPS) increased 1 percent as September same-store sales topped estimates. Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) decreased 2.5 percent after the stock was downgraded by Robert W. Baird & Co.
S&P 500 futures expiring in December increased 0.5 percent to 1,451.5 at 8:47 a.m. in New York. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures expiring the same month rose 49 points, or 0.4 percent, to 13,475.
Applications for jobless benefits increased 4,000 to 367,000 in the week ended Sept. 29, Labor Department figures showed today. Economists forecast 370,000 claims, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey. The prior week’s reading was the lowest in two months.