U.S. stock index futures signal gains; data eyed

Reuters - Thursday, November 26

* U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher opening on Wall Street on Wednesday ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, with investors awaiting a slew of economic data.

* At 1000 GMT, futures for the S&P 500 <SPc1>,the Dow Jones industrial average <DJc1> and the Nasdaq <NDc1> were up 0.4 to 0.5 percent.

* At 1330 GMT, the Commerce Department is scheduled to release personal income and consumption data for October. Economists in a Reuters survey expect a rise of 0.1 percent in income and a 0.5 percent increase in spending. In the previous month, income was unchanged and spending dipped by 0.5 percent.

* The Commerce Department also releases October durable goods orders at 1330 GMT, with economists in a Reuters survey expecting a 0.5 increase versus a 1.4 percent rise in September.

* The Labor Department releases first-time claims for jobless benefits for the week ended November 21 at 1330 GMT. Economists in a Reuters survey forecast a total of 500,000 new filings compared with 505,000 in the prior week.

* Tiffany & Co <TIF.N> is due to report its third-quarter results, with analysts in a Reuters poll expecting the company to earn 23 cents a shares, down from 35 cents a year ago.

* Deer & Co <DE.N> is scheduled to report fourth-quarter figures, with analysts expecting the company to earn 0.02 cents a share compared with 0.89 cents a year ago.

* At 1455 GMT Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers releases its final November consumer sentiment index. Economists in a Reuters survey expect a reading of 67.0 compared with 70.6 in the final October report.

* The Commerce Department releases new home sales for October. Economists is a Reuters survey forecast a total of 410,000 annualized units in the month compared with 402,000 in September.

* Calpers, the biggest U.S. public pension fund, is considering dumping asset manager BlackRock Inc <BLK.N> as its real estate consultant, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter. [ID:nBNG167053]

* As much as $7 trillion of debt piled up by banks falls due by the end of 2012, which could force them to refinance their borrowings at a higher cost, the Wall Street Journal said, citing a Moody's Investors Service report. [ID:nBNG496679]

* Shares in Halliburton <HAL.N> fell 2.2 percent to $29.80 in extended trading after the company said a reduction in activity in Mexico will impact earnings in the fourth quarter. [ID:nN24321080]

* European shares rose on Wednesday, boosted by a revised U.S. growth forecast for 2010 by the Federal Reserve, with miners featuring among the top gainers.

* By 1000 GMT the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top shares was up 0.7 percent at 1,023.93 points.

* U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday on lacklustre economic data in a session marked by low volume and choppy trading, but losses eased after the Federal Reserve raised its expectations for growth in 2010. [ID:nN24320337]

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 0.2 percent, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> inched down 0.05 percent and the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> fell 0.3 percent. ((joanne.frearson@thomsonreuters.com; +44 207 542 2773, Reuters Messaging:joanne.frearson.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))