U.S. stock-index futures were little changed, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index heading for a weekly gain, as investors awaited data that is projected to show an increase of more than 200,000 in October payrolls. Sears Holdings Corp. jumped 25 percent after saying it’s exploring the sale and leaseback of 200 to 300 stores. Walt Disney Co. dropped 1.9 percent after saying profit at TV networks, its biggest division, fell, even as total earnings beat forecasts. Transocean Ltd. slid 7.8 percent after saying it will take $2.76 billion in impairment charges and delay its earnings report. Futures on the S&P 500 (SPX) expiring in December fell less than 0.1 percent to 2,027.6 at 8:14 a.m. in New York. Dow Jones Industrial Average contracts added 4 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 17,508 today. “The U.S. is now data driven,� said John Plassard, vice president at Mirabaud Securities LLP in Geneva. “I expect good figures from the employment report that will confirm that the Fed did a good thing in ending quantitative easing. But one of the consequences from that is that expectations for a rate hike in the first half of 2015 will lift higher.� A report at 8:30 a.m. Washington time may show non-farm payrolls rose by 235,000 in October, according to the median of economists’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That would see the continuation of monthly gains of more than 200,000, after payrolls climbed by 248,000 in September. The jobless rate probably held at a six-year low of 5.9 percent in October, the survey signaled. Record Levels The October payrolls report comes amid signs of strength in the U.S. economy, with data yesterday showing fewer Americans than analysts projected filed for unemployment benefits. The S&P 500 and Dow extended all-time highs yesterday. The S&P 500 is up 0.7 percent this week, heading for a third straight weekly gain, after election results shifted control of the Senate from Democrats to Republicans, and the European Central Bank vowed to increase stimulus efforts if needed. The benchmark index has rebounded 9.1 percent from a six-month low on Oct. 15 as companies are beating analysts’ earnings estimates at the fastest pace in four years. Of the S&P 500 members that have reported their latest quarterly results, 80 percent topped profit projections, while 60 percent beat sales estimates, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Sears soared 25 percent today. The selected outlets would be sold to a newly formed real-estate investment trust, the company said today in a statement. The retailer last month announced a rights offering in a bid to raise capital that will give it time to return to profitability. Video Games Zynga Inc. jumped 9.3 percent. The money-losing maker of the FarmVille video game posted third-quarter sales that exceeded analysts’ estimates, buoyed by higher advertising and more play on mobile devices. King Digital Entertainment Plc rallied 8.6 percent. While total sales fell 17 percent to $514.4 million from a year earlier, they beat analyst estimates for $491.1 million. Forty-nine percent of third-quarter bookings came from games other than Candy Crush, compared with 41 percent a year earlier. Nvidia Corp. climbed 3.4 percent. The maker of graphics chips and processors used in mobile phones and tablets reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of 39 cents a share, beating the 35-cent estimated by analysts. Transocean slid 7.8 percent. The offshore driller said in a statement that it would take a non-cash charge of $1.97 billion on goodwill and a further $788 million on the value of its rigs because of the downturn in the oil industry. The Switzerland-based company also had been due to report earnings today, but said an announcement would be made at a later date. Disney Falls Disney dropped 1.9 percent. TV networks posted slightly lower profit of $1.437 billion, reduced by higher costs at ESPN and marketing expenses at the Disney Channel overseas. The world’s largest entertainment company said profit excluding some items rose to 89 cents a share, beating the 88-cent average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg. First Solar Inc. retreated 6.9 percent. Profit slipped in the third quarter as the largest U.S. photovoltaic panel manufacturer seeks to land new orders for power plants to replace the giant desert projects that led to record sales last year. Bank of America Corp. lost 1 percent after taking legal charges that wiped out the surprise profit it reported last month. The lender posted a loss of $232 million, or 4 cents a share, for the three months ended Sept. 30. Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. tumbled 34 percent. The drugmaker said its chief financial officer resigned, and the audit committee will review the way the company characterized wholesale inventory. To contact the reporter on this story: Inyoung Hwang in London at ihwang7@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Cecile Vannucci at cvannucci1@bloomberg.net; Jeff Sutherland at jsutherlan13@bloomberg.net Jeff Sutherland, Alan Soughley

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