NEW YORK, Dec 30 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Thursday as investors awaited economic data for insight on the strength of the economic recovery heading into 2011.
* On the penultimate trading day of the year, the S&P 500 <.SPX> is headed for its best December in nearly two decades. The index has gained 6.7 percent so far this month, closing on Wednesday at its highest level since Sept. 8, 2008, and has risen in 17 of the last 20 sessions.
* Data expected today includes weekly jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. (1330 GMT], which is expected to show initial claims fell to 415,000 from 420,000 the previous week. Pending home sales for November are expected at 10 a.m. [1500 GMT], and are expected to show a 1.5 percent rise.
* "Jobless claims will have some impact if it's an outlier because the market is so thin," said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management, in New York.
"But there are lots of reasons to look at jobless reports this time of year and see them as very seasonal."
* The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), due at 9:45 a.m. (1445 GMT), is expected to have dipped a bit in the December reading, with analysts forecasting a drop to 61.0 from 62.5 the month before.
* S&P 500 futures
* Chinese inflation showed signs of cresting in a manufacturing survey on Thursday, an early indication that the government will be able to stick to its course of gradual rather than aggressive monetary tightening. [ID:nTOE6BT01J]
* Volume is expected to remain tepid in light of the holiday season and the recent blizzard which blanketed the U.S. Northeast. The storm postponed about $1 billion in holiday retail sales by keeping shoppers away from stores in the days after Christmas, research firm ShopperTrak said. For details, see [nN29280698]
* U.S. health regulators have approved Endo Pharmaceuticals
Holding Inc
* Lockheed Martin Corp
* Japanese stocks ended the year with a whimper on Thursday as a stronger yen knocked down shares of major exporters, but markets elsewhere in Asia rose, cementing solid gains for 2010 led by a near 50 percent rally for Indonesia. [ID:nLDE6BT09T]
* European shares edged lower on Thursday in light volumes, after data from China suggested growth was slowing, as several bourses traded for the last time in 2010. [.EU]
(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)