U.S. futures steady to lower ahead of jobless data; Dow Jones up 0.02%

Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed to a steady to lower open on Thursday, as investors awaited the release of U.S. jobless data later in the day, while Chinese inflation data dampened expectations for more easing measures by the Bank of China.

Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.02% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.04% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.11% fall.

Official data released earlier showed that consumer prices in China rose 2.4% in April from a year earlier, above expectations for a 2.3% increase and accelerating from a 2.1% rate of increase in March.

The faster-than-expected increase in the rate of inflation dampened hopes policy makers in Beijing could introduce fresh easing measures to boost economic growth in the world’s second largest economy.

Elsewhere, upbeat German industrial on Wednesday dampened speculation over the possibility of further rate cuts by the European Central Bank.

Tech stocks were expected to be active, after Microsoft named Amy Hood its first female chief financial officer.

Hood is set to become CFO effective immediately, succeeding Peter Klein, according to a statement published on Wednesday.

Among earnings, Groupon said first-quarter revenue exceeded analysts’ estimates, thanks to increased coupon sales through its mobile applications. The news sent shares in the daily deal website surging 11.27% in pre-market trade.

Rupert Murdoch-led media company News Corp. added to gains, rallying 2.82% in early trading, after saying third-quarter profit beat analysts’ estimates on licensing fees for cable networks such as Fox News.

Elsewhere, Activision dove 6.29% in extended trading, after Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick said "the risks and uncertainties in the back half of 2013 are more challenging than our earlier view, especially in the holiday quarter."

Other stocks in focus included Agrium, Apache, Cablevision, Carlyle Group, Dean Foods, Dish Network, Echostar, Visteon and Windstream, scheduled to report earnings later in the day.

Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 declined 0.65%, France’s CAC 40 tumbled 0.96%, Germany's DAX eased 0.08%, while Britain's FTSE 100 dipped 0.05%.

During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index edged down 0.14%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index retreated 0.66%.

Later in the day, the U.S. was to release official data on initial jobless claims.