Futures up ahead of job data, OPEC decision

[December 04, 2015]  By Sweta Singh

(Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were higher on Friday ahead of jobs data that will feed into the Federal Reserve's decision to hike interest rates this month, and any decision from an OPEC meeting about oil output.

* The jobs data comes a day after the S&P 500 suffered its biggest daily drop since late September as the European Central Bank disappointed market hopes for greater stimulus.

* The Labor Department's closely watched November jobs report will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET (1330 GMT) and is expected to show that U.S. job growth likely remained solid.

* A Reuters survey of economists forecast nonfarm payrolls rising 200,000. The unemployment rate is expected to hold at a 7-1/2 year low of 5 percent.

* On Thursday, the ECB cut its deposit rate deeper into negative territory and extended its asset buys by six months, as expected. But some market participants had hoped for greater stimulus.

* Fed Chair Janet Yellen's comments before a joint Congressional committee on Thursday signaled the Federal Reserve was on track to raise rates this month.

* The Fed's policy-setting committee will meet on Dec. 15-16.

* Investors are also keeping an eye on the OPEC meeting in Vienna where the group is expected to reiterate its high output strategy.

* ECB President Mario Draghi and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley will participate in a meeting of the Economic Club of New York later on Friday.

* Cooper Cos Inc shares fell 20.73 percent to $112.60 in premarket trading after the medical device maker cut its 2016 outlook and reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit.

* Kalobios Pharmaceuticals shares rose 33.7 percent at $39.20 after the company said it was acquiring worldwide rights to a compound being developed for the treatment of Chagas disease.

* GoPro shares fell 1.58 percent to $18.63 after Robert W. Baird cut its rating on the stock to "neutral" from "outperform".

Futures snapshot at 7:06 a.m. ET (1206 GMT):

* S&P 500 e-minis were up 6.25 points, or 0.3 percent, with 145,304 contracts traded.

* Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 10.25 points, or 0.22 percent, on volume of 21,972 contracts.

* Dow e-minis  were up 51 points, or 0.29 percent, with 20,304 contracts changing hands.

(Reporting by Sweta Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Don Sebastian)

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