U.S. stock-index futures were little changed, after equities rose the most in a month, as investors weighed data on private payrolls before the government’s labor report on Friday. Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 (SPX) expiring in December fell less than 0.1 percent at 2,065.40 at 8:19 a.m. in New York. “Investors are looking for some direction and affirmation that the recovery is continuing,� said Justin Urquhart Stewart, who helps oversee about $7 billion at Seven Investment Management LLP in London. “They are looking for sign posts after the Black Friday retail figures being weaker than expected.� The S&P 500 is 0.3 percent below a record reached on Nov. 28 as weaker Black Friday sales and oil prices dragged stocks lower. The gauge has still rebounded 11 percent from a low in October amid optimism the economy is strong enough to withstand a slowdown overseas and tighter monetary policy after the Federal Reserve wound up its asset-purchase program. A report from the ADP Research Institute showed U.S. companies added fewer workers than estimated in November. Firms added 208,000 jobs last month, below economists’ forecasts of 222,000. The Labor Department releases its labor data on Friday. The government’s report may show companies added 230,000 nonfarm payrolls in November while the unemployment rate held at 5.8 percent, according to the consensus forecast by economists. The Fed will release its Beige Book at 2 p.m. local time. The survey, based on reports from its 12 regional banks, will provide anecdotal information about the economy before the Fed’s Dec. 16-17 policy meeting. Investors are also awaiting signals from the European Central Bank. Mario Draghi and his central bank colleagues may move a step closer to full-scale quantitative easing when they meet tomorrow in Frankfurt. The majority of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News predict the ECB will eventually buy government bonds to help spur growth in the region. To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Morgan in Frankfurt at jmorgan157@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Cecile Vannucci at cvannucci1@bloomberg.net; Jeff Sutherland at jsutherlan13@bloomberg.net Jeff Sutherland, Namitha Jagadeesh

Source