--Stock futures stay near the flatline ahead of trade deficit data --Europe eases, Asia mostly lower as jump in Chinese inflation offsets new Japanese stimulus measures --Trade deficit for November seen narrowing slightly; Federal budget data also on tap By Tomi Kilgore NEW YORK--U.S. stock futures stayed near the flatline ahead of trade deficit data, with investors weighing a jump in Chinese inflation against new stimulus measures out of Japan. About 90 minutes ahead of the open, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipped eight points, or less than 0.1%, to 13398. Standard & Poor's 500-stock index futures were unchanged at 1467 and Nasdaq 100 futures edged up one point, or less than 0.1%, to 2738. Changes in stock futures don't always accurately predict stock moves after the opening bell. Thursday, the S&P 500 rose 11 points, or 0.8%, to close at the highest level since Dec. 28, 2007. At 8:30 a.m. EST, the merchandise trade deficit for November will be released. It is seen narrowing to $41.2 billion from October's $42.2 billion, and import prices for December are expected to increase 0.1% on the month. At 2 p.m., the Federal budget for December is expected to show a $17.5 billion deficit. In corporate news, shares of Chevron tacked on 0.8% in premarket trading after the blue-chip oil company said it expects fourth-quarter earnings to be notably higher than the previous quarter, given rises in both pricing and production. Among other Dow components, Boeing shed 1.7 as the Federal Aviation Administration is planning to launch a top-priority safety review of the aerospace company's 787 Dreamliner. American Express reported fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded analyst estimates, while revenue matched forecasts, and said it would cut 5400 jobs as part of a restructuring aimed at lower costs. The shares were still inactive in the premarket. European markets edged slightly to the downside, with the Stoxx Europe 600 off by 0.1%, as new Japanese growth measures and a successful Italian bond auction were offset by concerns over rising Chinese inflation. Italy sold the maximum targeted amount of debt, with yields on three-year government bonds falling to the lowest level in nearly three years. Asian markets were mostly lower, with China's Shanghai Composite slumping 1.8% after the country's consumer-price index rose more than expected in December to a seven-month high. Investors feared the jump in inflation could take further growth measures off the table. Meanwhile, Japan's Nikkei Stock Average surged 1.4% to the highest level since February 2011 after the Japanese government approved a 10.3 trillion yen, or about $115.7 billion, emergency stimulus package. The yen fell to a 2 1/2-year low against the dollar before recovering slightly. Front month February crude oil futures lost 0.7% to $93.13 a barrel, while February gold futures gave up 0.5% to $1,669.30 an ounce. The dollar edged higher against the euro but pulled back from a multi-year high against the yen. Among other early stock movers, Best Buy rallied 2.4% after the consumer electronics retailer said holiday-period same-store sales fell less-than-expected from year-earlier levels, helped by relative strength in U.S. sales. Dendreon hiked up 13% after Bernstein Research raised its rating on the pharmaceutical company to outperform, and also lifted its share price target by 43% to $10, citing optimism over the company's treatment for prostate cancer. The U.S.-listed shares of India's Infosys surged 15% after the outsourcing company reported better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter revenue and earnings and provided an upbeat full-year revenue outlook. Write to Tomi Kilgore at tomi.kilgore@dowjones.com

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