Stocks Futures Flat - McDonalds (MCD) And H&R Block (HRB) Moving In Pre-Market

Posted: Friday, September 03, 2010 8:01 AM EDT
By: Market Intelligence Center Staff

Stock futures gained marginally this morning, as investors paused for breath ahead of pivotal jobs data that are likely to show more weakness in the American labor market. The U.S. government will report employment data for August at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. Economists expect a decline of 105,000 in overall nonfarm payrolls and a net increase of 30,000 private-sector jobs. Most Asian stock markets advanced Friday as an unexpected increase in U.S. pending-home sales helped ease economic worries and sent Japanese shares higher for a third straight session on the back of exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp (TM). European stocks pushed higher on Friday, gaining after upbeat retail sales data for the euro zone, but action remained subdued ahead of key U.S. nonfarm payrolls data due later in the session. Seven of the ten Asian/Pacific markets we watch are up. The Taiwan Weighted is up 1.42%. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI is down 0.37%. Nine of the ten European markets we watch are up. The Switzerland Swiss Market is up 0.7%. The Austria ATX is down 0.32%. In pre-market trading Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB), American International Group Inc Corp (AIG), H and R Block Inc (HRB), McDonalds Corp (MCD) and Pfizer Inc (PFE) are up, while Citigroup Inc (C), Apple Inc (AAPL), Chevron Corporation (CVX) and Sunoco Inc (SUN) are down. [InvestorsKeyhole, various news and data sources]