U.S. futures steady ahead of jobs data; Dow Jones down 0.02%

Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed to a steady open on Friday, as investors eyed the release of key U.S. employment data, while concerns over the worsening of the euro zone's debt crisis remained.

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

Sentiment slightly weakened after Markit research group earlier said that Spain's manufacturing purchasing managers' index fell more-than-expected in October, ticking down to 43.5 from a reading 0f 44.6 the previous month.

Analysts had expected the manufacturing PMI to fall to 44.0 in October.

Separately, Italy's manufacturing PMI fell to 45.50 last month, from 45.70 in September, disappointing expectations for a reading of 45.90.

Meanwhile, investors remained cautious amid uncertainty over when Spain may request a bailout and whether Greece will secure the next tranche of its bailout funding.

The Internet sector was expected to be active for the second consecutive session, after professional social network LinkedIn Corp beat Wall Street's third-quarter profit and revenue targets, as advertising rates increased and sales from its hiring services nearly doubled.

The news sent shares in LinkedIn up 9.42% in pre-market trade.

Meanwhile, Yelp, the website that lets users review businesses ranging from lounges to locksmiths, reported third-quarter sales that matched analysts’ estimates, as the company benefited from overseas expansion sending shares up 1.42% pre-market.

Elsewhere, Starbucks was likely to be in focus after it raised its profit forecast for the current fiscal year, as sales in its top market of the U.S. beat expectations, giving the company optimism that has eluded much of the U.S. restaurant industry in recent months. Shares surged 7.25% in early trading.

In commodity-linked stocks, Newmont Mining tumbled 1.35% in after-hour trade, as the company reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit after a steep fall in production and a sharp rise in costs at its big Batu Hijau copper and gold mine in Indonesia.

Other stocks in focus included media group McGraw-Hill, Chevron, energy company Hess Corp and fashion group Ralph Lauren, all due to report quarterly earnings later in the day.

Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were moderately lower. The EURO STOXX 50 slipped 0.07%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.16%, Germany's DAX dipped 0.03%, while Britain's FTSE 100 inched 0.08% lower.

During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index surged 1.33%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index jumped 1.17%.

Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce a government report on nonfarm payrolls, as well as data on the unemployment rate, followed by official data on average earnings and factory orders.