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* Investors were looking ahead to data on the
labor market and inflation at 8:30 a.m. (1330 GMT) with the
release of weekly initial jobless claims and the January
consumer price index. Expectations call for claims to rise to
290,000 while CPI is expected to show a decline of 0.6 percent.
* Durable goods data for February is also expected at 8:30 a.m.,
with expectations calling for an increase of 1.7 percent.
* A decline in shares of Apple tilted the S&P 500 and Nasdaq
slightly into the red on Wednesday, while the Dow managed to
edge up to a new record in the wake of testimony by U.S. Federal
Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to a House of Representatives
committee that yielded little insight into the timing of an
interest rate hike.
* After a sluggish start to the year, equities have rebounded
sharply in February. Both the Dow and S&P 500 are on track for
their best monthly performance since October 2011, while the
Nasdaq is on pace for its best month since January 2012.
* Transocean shares gained 4.4 percent to $16.75 in premarket
after posting quarterly results.
* Salesforce.com shares surged 10.6 percent to $69.55 before the
opening bell after the cloud software company reported quarterly
earnings and raised its full-year revenue forecast.
* European stocks rose modestly, taking a breather from a sharp
two-month rally, with Allianz falling after its dividend rise
disappointed.
* In Asia, Japan's Nikkei stock average climbed 1.1 percent to a
fresh 15-year high, helped by news that the body managing
Japan's national civil service pensions will raise its target
allocation for domestic stocks to 25 percent from 8 percent.
Futures snapshot at 7:39 a.m. EST:
* S&P 500 e-minis were up 2.75 points, or 0.13 percent, with
68,384 contracts changing hands.
* Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 6.75 points, or 0.15 percent, in
volume of 14,757 contracts.
* Dow e-minis were up 16 points, or 0.09 percent, with 12,515
contracts changing hands.
(Editing by Bernadette Baum)
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