Stock Futures Rise Ahead of September Jobs Report

U.S. stock futures rose early Friday as investors awaited the September employment report, scheduled for release at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, for indications about the economy and the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision later this month. The data had not been released in the reports available before publication. At about 4:59 a.m. Eastern, Dow futures were up 259 points, or 0.51%, S&P 500 futures had gained 0.5%, and Nasdaq 100 futures were 0.83% higher. Other early market snapshots showed smaller gains, underscoring that futures quotes varied by time. The major indexes were nevertheless on course to finish the week lower, with the S&P 500 facing a decline of about 1%, according to market reports. Economists expected September job growth to slow, while the unemployment rate was forecast to remain at 4.1%. Estimates for payroll gains varied: surveys and analysts cited forecasts ranging from 84,000 to 89,500, with one economist estimating 60,000. Those figures were expectations, not reported results. Investors were set to assess the release for its possible effect on expectations for the Federal Reserve’s October meeting. Treasury yields and oil prices were also in focus.