Stock futures fall as dollar rises against euro, investors await jobs, economic activity data

Stock futures signal weaker open as dollar rises

Stock futures are indicating a lower opening on Wall Street following declines in overseas markets after the Federal Reserve indicated it would start pulling back some emergency supports as the economy improves.

Markets in Europe and Asia slipped Thursday as the dollar rose against the euro on speculation the central bank might increase rates sooner than expected.

Investors will get more evidence on the nation’s economic recovery as the Labor Department reports on weekly jobless claims.

Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect first-time unemployment claims to dip to a seasonally adjusted 465,000 last week, down from 474,000 the previous week. The report is due at 8:30 a.m. EST.

Later in the morning, the Conference Board issues its forecast of economic activity for November. Analyst expect the index to show a 0.7 percent rise last month following a 0.3 percent increase in October. The report is expected at 10 a.m. EST.

Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 55, or 0.5 percent, at 10,396. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures fell 8.00, or 0.7 percent, at 1,097.70, while Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 13.50, or 0.8 percent, at 1,786.50.

The stock market stalled after an early advance Wednesday as the Federal Reserve reiterated its commitment to keep rates low. It also said it expects to wind down several emergency lending programs launched at the height of the financial crisis as the programs are set to expire next year. The Dow Jones industrials slipped 11 points, while broader indexes ended with modest gains but off their highest levels of the day.

In earnings news, package delivery FedEx provided a cautious outlook for its fiscal third quarter on Thursday, after reporting second-quarter results fell 30 percent from a year ago.

Drugstore operator Rite Aid said its fiscal third-quarter loss narrowed, as a rise in prescriptions helped offset a continued slump in same-store sales. And General Mills Inc. said its fiscal second-quarter profit rose 50 percent as shoppers spent more on its cereal and snacks. The company also boosted its full-year earnings guidance.

Late Wednesday, the Treasury Department backed out of its plans to sell its 34 percent stake in Citigroup Inc.

The move came after investors responded tepidly to a massive stock offer by the New York-based bank, which is trying to repay $20 billion of the $45 billion in government support it received to weather the financial crisis.

Citi is the last remaining Wall Street bank in which the government still owns a major stake.

Also, Bank of America announced that insider Brian Moynihan will succeed outgoing CEO Ken Lewis, ending a months-long search complicated by pay restrictions.

Meanwhile, bond prices were mixed. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.55 percent from 3.60 percent late Wednesday. The yield on the three-month T-bill, considered one of the safest investments, was unchanged from 0.05 percent.

The dollar rose against other major currencies, while gold prices fell.

Overseas, Japan’s Nikkei stock average fell 0.9 percent. In afternoon trading, Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 0.9 percent, Germany’s DAX index was down 0.7 percent, and France’s CAC-40 was down 0.6 percent.