U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones up 0.2 percent and Nasdaq futures up 0.3 percent at 4:41 a.m. EDT.

Japan’s Nikkei average dived 3 percent on Friday to log a seventh straight week of losses, its longest such run since the third quarter of 2001, as investors sold stocks and other risky assets on concerns over slowing global growth and a deepening euro zone crisis.

Incoming French President Francois Hollande meets with U.S. President Barack Obama ahead of a meeting of G8 leaders this weekend and a NATO summit that immediately follows. Analysts and officials say there is little doubt the U.S. president will use the opportunity to try to build rapport and stress the importance of European cohesion.

Facebook Inc is set to raise up to $18.4 billion in its IPO and become the first U.S. company to be worth more than $100 billion at its debut, as investors bet on a big pop in the stock when it begins trading on the Nasdaq on Friday.

Strong athletic footwear sales are expected to boost earnings for Foot Locker , whose results outpaced Wall Street estimates throughout 2011. Financial performance in Europe will be a point of focus, considering the macro-headwinds in the continent, although its performance in the U.S. is expected to be solid. Clothier AnnTaylor also reports quarterly results.

GE General Electric aims to double the number of joint ventures it has in China from the current 28 in roughly five years, its vice-chairman said on Friday.

The company is also working with the government of Myanmar on possible infrastructure projects, its vice-chairman said on Friday, a day after the United States said it had suspended sanctions barring U.S. investment in the poor Southeast Asian country.

U.S. stocks hit a four-month low on Thursday as rising Spanish bond yields increased investor anxiety over that country’s banks and another round of weak data undermined hopes for U.S. economic recovery.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 156.06 points, or 1.24 percent, to 12,442.49. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 19.94 points, or 1.51 percent, to 1,304.86. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 60.35 points, or 2.10 percent, to 2,813.69.

(Reporting By Francesco Canepa)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stock index futures edged lower on Thursday after the Nasdaq posted its biggest gain of the year in the prior session and as investors looked ahead to jobless claims data, a barometer of the health of the labor market.

S&P 500 futures fell 1.5 points and were below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration of the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 9 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 6 points.

(Reporting by Ed Krudy; editing by W Simon)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stock index futures pared gains on Thursday after data showed new claims for weekly jobless benefits came in above forecasts and the figure for the previous week was revised higher, dampening hopes of a pick-up in job creation in April.

S&P 500 futures rose 1.5 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration of the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures added 21 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 9.75 points.

(Reporting By Edward Krudy; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stock index futures pared losses on Friday after JPMorgan reported higher earnings per share as the company bought back stock.

Stock index futures were under pressure on Friday, weighed by bearish concern over Spain’s rising borrowing costs and Chinese economic data.

S&P 500 futures fell 2.9 points and were below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration of the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures lost 28 points and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 2.25 points.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by W Simon)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stock index futures fell on Tuesday on renewed concerns that Greece and private bondholders would not meet a looming deadline to complete a debt swap, potentially opening the way for a messy default that could hurt neighboring economies.

A group representing bondholders warned a default could leave Italy and Spain needing outside help to stop contagion from spreading and cause more than 1 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion) of damage to the region.

Creditors have until Thursday night to accept a bond swap in which they would lose almost three-quarters of the value of their bonds.

Heightening tensions over Greece come a day after China cut its growth forecast and data showed the European Union is unlikely to avoid a recession.

“With the fresh uncertainties coming into play about Greece and after the effects of the Chinese slowdown, investors are taking a defensive posture,” said Andre Bakhos, director of market analytics at Lek Securities in New York.

Banks and materials shares, sensitive to flare-ups in Europe’s debt crisis, fell in early trading. Bank of America Corp lost 1.3 percent to $7.87, while aluminum producer Alcoa Inc was off 1.3 pct to $9.74.

S&P 500 futures were off 10.4 points and below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures slid 81 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures lost 18.5 points.

Greece has no plans to extend the March 8 deadline on its bond swap offer to private creditors, Greek officials said, dismissing market rumors the cutoff date may be changed to increase participation in the offer.

European shares hit a 1-week low. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 1.2 percent. Hong Kong shares suffered their biggest slump in nearly three months as the Hang Seng index lost 2.2 percent.

Oil eased in volatile trading on concerns over global economic growth despite the continued risk to supplies due to tensions associated with Iran. Brent crude fell 0.5 percent to $123.12 a barrel.

Shares in Exxon Mobil Corp fell 0.8 percent to $86.30 in premarket trade. The Select Sector SPDR energy exchange-traded fund lost 0.8 percent to $73.70.

Yahoo Inc’s new chief executive was preparing a significant restructuring of the Internet media company that would include thousands of layoffs, according to a technology blog.

El Paso Corp delayed a shareholder vote on the pipeline company’s acquisition by rival Kinder Morgan Inc to allow investors to consider a judge’s ruling that criticized some of the deal’s participants.

General Motors Co will pay 320 million euros ($423 million) for a 7 percent stake in French automaker Peugeot SA as part of an alliance designed to save the companies at least $2 billion.

(Reporting by Edward Krudy; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)