U.S. futures mixed to lower despite debt deal; Dow Jones down 0.21%

U.S. stock futures pointed to a mixed to lower open on Thursday, although the U.S. Congress struck a last minute agreement to raise the debt limit, avoiding a default, as concerns over the consequences of the two-week government shutdown overshadowed the news. 

Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.21% fall, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.09% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.02% gain. 

Sentiment improved earlier, after the U.S. Congress passed a bill to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling, just hours ahead of a deadline to avert a debt sovereign debt default.

The deal will fund the government until January 15 and raise the government borrowing limit until February 7. Both sides also agreed to talks over broad budget issues in an attempt to reach a longer-term deal by December 13.

However, investors remained concerned over the impact of the government shutdown on the already fragile economic recovery. The possibility of another debt crisis also loomed, as the temporary solution does not resolve the underlying budgetary issues dividing Republicans and Democrats. 

Auto stocks were expected to be active, following reports Ford Motor will expand its F-Series truck line for the 2014 model year to protect a widening lead over General Motors. 

Ford shares were still down 0.35% in pre-market trade. 

Social media giant Facebook, up 0.11% in early trading, was also likely to be in focus after saying it is planning to loosen rules to let teens share their content publicly, in an attempt to woo younger members and stave off competition. 

Among earnings, American Express saw shares gain 0.33% after hours, as the credit-card issuer reported a third-quarter profit that beat analysts’ estimates, thanks to rising customer spending. 

International Business Machines 5.96% in extended trading, after the computer services provider said late Wednesday that sales fell for the sixth straight quarter and its hardware business posted a loss. 

Other stocks expected to be in focus included Goldman Sachs, Verizon Communications, Google, United Health and Union Pacific, all scheduled to report quarterly earnings later in the day. 

Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 slid 0.34%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.39%, Germany's DAX retreated 0.47%, while Britain's FTSE 100 edged down 0.13%. 

During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index shed 0.57%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.83%. 

Later in the day, the U.S. was to publish a report on initial jobless claims and the Philly Fed manufacturing index.