By Michael P. Regan Dec. 10 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stock futures rose after the average number of Americans filing first-time jobless claims over the past four weeks fell to a one-year low and the trade deficit unexpectedly shrank as a weaker dollar boosted exports. Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index expiring this month climbed 0.7 percent to 1,103.5 at 8:35 a.m. in New York. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures increased 0.6 percent to 10,395. After surging as much as 64 percent from a 12-year low on March 9, the S&P 500 has been little changed since mid-October amid concern the economy’s recovery from the worst recession in seven decades won’t be sustained. U.S. stocks advanced yesterday, recovering from a worldwide equity market retreat, as analyst upgrades of 3M Co. and Sprint Nextel Corp. helped offset concern credit defaults will spread through the global economy. The reliability of sovereign credit has been under increased scrutiny since Nov. 25, when Dubai World, a state- owned holding company, said it would seek a standstill agreement on its debt. Dubai World has since said it’s in talks to renegotiate $26 billion of loans. Fitch Ratings this week cut Greece’s credit rating, while Standard & Poor’s reduced its outlook for Spain to “negative.”

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