U.S. futures steady, focus on data; Dow Jones down 0.01%

U.S. stock futures pointed to a steady open on Friday, as markets eyed the release of U.S. data, after a recent string of positive economic reports fuelled hopes for a strong U.S. recovery. 

Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.01% dip, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.04% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.06% gain.

On Thursday, the Department of Labor said the number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. fell by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 332,000, last week compared to expectations for an increase of 8,000 to 350,000.

The unexpectedly strong data, together with recent stronger-than-forecast data on nonfarm payrolls and retail sales fuelled optimism over the durability of the U.S. economic recovery. 

Tech stocks were expected to be active, after Samsung Electronics challenged rival U.S. company Apple on its home turf, as the South Korean technology giant premiered its latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S4, which sports a bigger display and unconventional features such as gesture controls. 

Apple shares were up 0.73% in pre-market trade. 

Separately, IBM and EMC were said to be among the parties in talks to buy privately held database web hosting company SoftLayer Technologies, in a deal that could fetch over USD2 billion. 

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing was also likely to be in focus, after the company expressed confidence that it could have its grounded 787 Dreamliner jets flying again in a matter of weeks. 

In addition, Boeing unveiled its proposed fix for the aircraft's battery system that should eliminate the risk of fire. 

In the financial sector, Bloomberg reported that JPMorgan paid Achilles Macris USD31.8 million in the two years before the firm piled up at least USD6.2 billion of losses on a portfolio he oversaw, more than his boss Ina Drew and among the most at the bank. 

In addition, a Senate report outlined on Thursday JPMorgan's efforts to hide trading losses, which could ignite debate over whether the largest U.S. bank is too big to manage, adding pressure on CEO Jamie Dimon to surrender his role as chairman. 

The news sent shares in the U.S. lender tumbling 1.49% in early trading.

Separately, media reports revealed that Morgan Stanley could be sued by Singapore’s Hong Leong Finance in a New York court over claims it deceptively sold instruments designed to fail. 

Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 dropped 0.46%, France’s CAC 40 retreated 0.60%, Germany's DAX eased 0.08%, while Britain's FTSE 100 declined 0.42%. 

During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index shed 0.38%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index jumped 1.45%. 

Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce official data on consumer inflation and preliminary data from the University of Michigan on consumer sentiment, followed by reports data on industrial production, and manufacturing activity in New York state.