U.S. futures edge lower, eyes on jobs report; Dow Jones down 0.14%

Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed to a moderately lower open on Friday, as markets were jittery ahead of a highly anticipated U.S. employment report, while fresh concerns over the debt crisis in the euro zone dented investor confidence.

Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.14% loss, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.17% decline, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.15% fall.

Investors remained cautious after ECB President Draghi on Thursday said the bank now expects the euro zone economy to contract by between 0.4% and 0.6% this year and to shrink by 0.3% to 0.9% in 2013. The ECB expects the euro zone economy to return to growth only in 2014, expanding between 0.2% and 2.2%.

Sentiment was also hit after the Bundesbank cut its 2013 growth projection to 0.4% from the 1.6% predicted in June and said the German economy will grow 0.7% this year, down from its previous forecast of 1%.

Meanwhile, Market players also continued to monitor negotiations among U.S. lawmakers to avoid the looming “fiscal cliff” crisis.

The pharmaceutical sector was expected to be in focus, after Amarin Corporation said it raised USD100 million in non-equity financing that will help it form a sales force to launch its heart drug Vascepa, but disappointed investors hoping for a sale or partnership. The news sent shares down 17.66% in pre-market trade.

Tech stocks such as Hewlett-Packard were also likely to be active, as the company's value has plunged to less than the USD31 billion it spent during a five-year takeover binge, according to a Bloomberg report.

In the Internet sector, Netflix and CEO Reed Hastings said they may face a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission civil claim over a July Facebook post that coincided with the stock’s biggest gain in almost six weeks.

Shares in Netflix tumbled 1.23% in late trading.

Among earnings, Smith & Wesson Holding Corp surged 2.86% in after-hour trade, following the release of its results, while GEO Group soared 6.45% after the company announced a special dividend.

Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 dropped 0.40%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.26%, Germany's DAX slipped 0.18%, while Britain's FTSE 100 edged 0.15% lower.

During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index declined 0.26%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.19%.

Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce official data on nonfarm payrolls, as well as data on the overall unemployment rate. In addition, the University of Michigan was to release preliminary data on consumer sentiment.