Waiting for employment reportStock futures little changed as investors await key measure of labor market.LONDON (CNNMoney.com) -- U.S. stocks looked set for a flat open early Friday, as investors hung back ahead of a key labor market reading. At 5:06 a.m. ET, Nasdaq and S&P futures were little changed, pointing to a lackluster start for stocks. Futures are likely to find more direction after the Labor Department releases its monthly jobs report, due at 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com expect employers added 70,000 jobs last month, down from 166,000 in October. While the consensus is for a weak report, expectations for a stronger reading have increased since a report on Wednesday showed a bigger surge in private-sector hiring than originally estimated. If the government reading comes in fairly strong, it could further ease concerns about a recession in the U.S. and give stocks another boost. Stocks have rallied for the past two sessions on positive economic readings and bets that the Federal Reserve will cut rates next Tuesday. Stocks to watch Friday include News Corp. (Charts, Fortune 500), Motorola (Charts, Fortune 500), Palm (Charts) and UnitedHealth Group (Charts, Fortune 500). In global trade, Asia markets ended the session mixed and European stocks advanced in the early going. |
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