BLBG: U.S. Stock Futures Gain Following Durable Goods, Jobless Data
By Michael P. Regan
Dec. 24 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stock-index futures gained after initial jobless claims fell more than estimated and orders for durable goods excluding transportation equipment topped economist forecasts.
Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index expiring in March added 0.3 percent to 1,118.6 at 8:34 a.m. in New York.
U.S. stocks advanced yesterday, almost erasing half the S&P 500’s loss from the bear market that ended in March, as rallies in oil and copper drove gains in commodity producers.
The benchmark index for U.S. equities has climbed 24 percent this year, poised for the biggest annual gain since 2003. Equities have been buoyed by record-low interest rates and by governments worldwide that have committed about $12 trillion to revive the economy.
