Stocks futures little changed as investors’ continue search for economic recovery signs

Stock index futures point to mixed open

The stock market appeared headed for a mixed open Thursday as investors looked for more evidence of an economic recovery.

U.S. stock futures slipped as European markets moved lower after prices surged in Asia.

Before the market opens Thursday, Wall Street will get a reading on unemployment when the Labor Department reports on the number of new jobless claims filed last week.

The numbers are projected to show new unemployment insurance claims fell to a seasonally adjusted 560,000 from 570,000 the previous week, according to economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters.

The report is due at 8:30 a.m. EDT.

Ahead of that report, Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 1, or less than 0.1 percent, to 9,537. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures rose 0.30, or less than 0.1 percent, to 1,032.80, while Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 2.00, or 0.1 percent, to 1,668.00.

In corporate news Thursday, Corning Inc. and General Mills Inc. both provided improved earnings outlooks.

Corning, a specialty glass maker, said it expects higher than previously forecast sales volume for the third quarter. General Mills said its fiscal first-quarter earnings per share topped the food maker’s expectations, helped by margin improvement and growth of its food brands.

A Federal Reserve report on Wednesday provided some reassurance that the economy is showing signs of stabilization.

That helped the stock market extend its gains to a fourth day as the Dow rose almost 50 points to its second-highest close of the year. The S&P 500 index rose to an 11-month high.

All but one of the Fed’s 12 regions indicated economic activity either was “stable,” showed “signs of stabilization” or had “firmed,” according to the Fed’s survey. The one exception was the St. Louis region, which reported the economic decline is “moderating.”

Bond prices were mixed Thursday. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.46 percent from 3.48 percent late Wednesday. The yield on the three-month T-bill, considered one of the safest investments, rose to 0.14 percent from 0.13 percent late Wednesday.

The dollar mostly rose against other major currencies early Wednesday morning, while gold prices fell.

Overseas, Japan’s Nikkei stock average rose 2 percent. In afternoon trading, Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 0.7 percent, Germany’s DAX index was up less than 0.1 percent, and France’s CAC-40 was down 0.3 percent.