NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stock futures held to slight gains early Thursday after the government reported a 26,000 drop in new jobless claims last week to 550,000, along with a rise in U.S. imports in July. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 8 points to 9,546.00. Those for the S&P 500 were fractionally ahead at 1,033.4, while Nasdaq 100 futures added 3 points to 1,669.00.
