* Futures up: Dow 20 pts, S&P; 2.1 pts, Nasdaq 6 pts
NEW YORK, Oct 5 (Reuters) – U.S. stock index futures were
slightly higher in thin trading Friday, after four days of gains
on the S&P; 500, and ahead of a government payrolls report
expected to show a tick up in hiring last month and a slight
increase in the unemployment rate.
* A positive market reaction to the jobs report could drive
the S&P; 500 to its highest close since December 2007, about four
points above Thursday’s close.
* The payrolls data, due at 8:30 a.m EDT (1230 GMT), is
forecast to show 113,000 jobs were created in September compared
with 96,000 in August. The unemployment rate is seen at 8.2
percent, against 8.1 percent in the previous month.
* S&P; 500 futures rose 2.1 points and were above fair
value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account
interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the
contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 20
points, and Nasdaq 100 futures added 6 points.
* Zynga shares fell 20 percent in premarket trading
after it slashed its 2012 outlook for a second time, fanning
doubts about its ability to halt a steep decline in earnings.
Facebook, which derives over a tenth of its revenue from
fees paid by Zynga, saw its shares fall 2.6 percent.
* Sprint Nextel is considering making a rival bid for
MetroPCS Communications, which agreed Wednesday to a
merger with Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA,
according to people familiar with the situation.
* U.S. stocks rose on Thursday following encouraging U.S.
data and comments by European Central Bank President Mario
Draghi on tools to tackle the region’s debt crisis and in
support of the euro.
