U.S. futures rise ahead of data; Dow Jones up 0.48%

Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed to a higher open on Thursday, as market sentiment remained supported after the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that some aspects of the U.S. economy were improving, while investors eyed the release of U.S. data later in the day.

Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.48% rise, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.62% increase, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.69% gain.

In its rate statement on Wednesday, the Fed said the U.S. economy is improving moderately, but said job growth has been slow and the unemployment rate remains elevated.

The central bank also said it planned to keep its benchmark short-term rate close to zero through mid-2015.

Investors remained cautious however amid ongoing uncertainty over whether Spain is moving closer to formally requesting a bailout from its euro zone partners and activating the European Central Bank’s bond purchasing plan.

Food stocks were expected to be active, after global consumer goods group Unilever beat expectations with a 5.9% rise in underlying quarterly sales thanks to strong demand from emerging markets. Shares were up 4.79% in pre-market trade.

The advertising sector was also likely to be in focus after WPP, the world's largest advertising group, cut its revenue outlook for the second time in as many months, due to a sharp slowdown in September in North America and Continental Europe.

In the tech sector, Symantec reported results ahead of Wall Street expectations, sending shares up 10.47% pre-market, as the company's new chief executive took direct control of the company's sales force as part of an effort to turn around the maker of security software.

Separately, a U.S. trade panel judge said in a preliminary decision issued on Wednesday that South Korea's Samsung Electronics, the world's top maker of smartphones, infringed Apple patents to make its smartphones and tablets.

Elsewhere, Ford was set to announce later Thursday that it is closing its van factory at Southampton, ending more than a century of vehicle production by the company in the U.K.

Meanwhile, General Motors reportedly said it plans to enter talks to buy a stake in its South Korean unit from the unit's second-biggest shareholder, Korea Development Bank.

Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were higher. The EURO STOXX 50 climbed 0.52%, France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.51%, Germany's DAX rose 0.60%, while Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.38%.

During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.21%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index jumped 1.13%.

Later in the day, the U.S. was to release official data on durable goods orders, as well as reports on pending home sales and initial jobless claims.