Wall St. futures head higher on manufacturing data

[February 01, 2012]  NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stock futures are getting a boost from solid manufacturing data from around the world as attention turns toward the state of the U.S. economy in the run-up to a crucial jobs report.

Dow futures are up 86 points at 12,663, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 futures are up 9 points at 1,317. The Nasdaq composite is up 15 points at 2,479.

Figures released Wednesday showed that China's manufacturing sector is growing steadily and Europe's is performing better than forecast. That gives investors hope that U.S. manufacturing figures coming later will show the world's largest economy continues its recovery.

Investors will also focus on the monthly hiring figures from private payrolls agency ADP, which will help shape expectations of Friday's official jobs data, nonfarm payrolls.

[Associated Press]

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