Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- European and U.S. stock-index futures rose before reports that may show fewer Americans applied for jobless benefits last week and manufacturing in the Philadelphia region expanded. Asian shares climbed. Royal Boskalis Westminster NV, the world’s biggest dredging company, will probably be active after boosting its earnings forecast. Holcim Ltd. and Straumann Holding AG may move after both reported a decline in profit. Michael Page International Plc may climb after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. advised buying shares of the U.K.’s second-largest recruitment company. Futures on the Euro Stoxx 50 Index gained 0.4 percent to 2,741 as of 7:20 a.m. in London. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index will open 10 points higher, according to inter-dealer broker BGC Partners. Futures contracts on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index expiring in September rose 0.4 percent and the MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 0.7 percent. Figures from the Labor Department at 8:30 a.m. in Washington may show initial U.S. jobless claims fell to 478,000 last week from 484,000 the prior week, according to a the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Estimates range from 460,000 to 495,000. Another report, scheduled for release at 10 a.m., may show manufacturing in the Philadelphia region picked up in August from the prior month’s reading that was the weakest in almost a year. The Fed Bank of Philadelphia’s general economic index rose to 7.2 from a July reading of 5.1, the Bloomberg survey showed. Readings greater than zero signal growth. Leading Indicators The index of U.S. leading indicators probably climbed in July for the second time in four months. The Conference Board’s gauge of the outlook for the next three to six months rose 0.1 percent after falling 0.2 percent in June, according to economists. The report is also due at 10 a.m. The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index has climbed 11 percent from this year’s low on May 25 as concern eased that the global economic recovery will slow and companies from Siemens AG to Daimler AG increased their estimates for earnings growth. Of the 450 companies on the S&P 500 that have reported results since July 12, 76 percent have topped estimates for earnings-per-share, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. In Europe, 53 percent of companies in the Stoxx 600 have beaten forecasts, the data show. Royal Boskalis may move after the dredging company reported a first-half profit of 123.9 million euros ($158.7 million). The company raised its 2010 profit forecast, saying earnings will increase by as much as 15 percent. Boskalis had earlier said profit will probably fall this year. Holcim, Straumann Holcim, the world’s second-biggest cement maker, said second-quarter net income fell 12 percent to 399 million Swiss francs ($382 million) as demand for cement declined in Europe and the company had higher production costs and selling expenses. The average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg was for profit of 561 million francs. Straumann, a maker of dental implants, may also move. The company said first-half profit fell 3.1 percent to 82 million francs as the strength of the franc against the euro and other currencies led to foreign exchange and hedging losses. Michael Page may gain as Goldman Sachs upgraded the shares to “buy” from “sell.” --Editor: Andrew Rummer. To contact the reporter on this story: Adam Haigh in London at ahaigh1@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: David Merritt at dmerritt1@bloomberg.net.

Source