U.S. Stock Futures Point to Firm Start
U.S. stock futures pared their premarket gains but remained higher, as investors scrutinized an agreement among most European Union members to tighten fiscal coordination and eyed some disappointing U.S. corporate outlooks.</br></br>Less than an hour before Friday's opening bell, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures had risen 43 points, or 0.4%, to 11987. Standard & Poor's 500-stock index futures climbed five points, or 0.4%, to 1235 and Nasdaq 100 futures advanced six points, or 0.2%, to 2287.</br></br>Changes in stock futures don't always accurately predict stock moves after the opening bell.</br></br>The Dow is on pace to finish the week with meager gains. On Thursday, the blue-chip index suffered its biggest point drop in two weeks, falling 199 points to below 12000 for the first time since Nov. 29.</br></br>On Friday, investors grew optimistic after 23 of 27 European Union countries agreed to tougher fiscal rules, which led German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to push for a separate intergovernmental treaty.