U.S. Stock Futures Signal Weaker Open for Equities

Stock index futures pointed to a weaker open for equities on Wall Street Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500, for the Dow Jones and for the Nasdaq 100 down 0.5 to 0.8 percent.

The Labor Department releases at 8:30 a.m. ET first-time claims for jobless benefits for the week ended Nov. 19. Economists forecast a total of 390,000 new filings, compared with 388,000 in the prior week.

Mortgage Bankers Association releases at 7 a.m. ET Weekly Mortgage Market Index for the week ended November 18, versus the prior week. The mortgage market index read 660.6 and the refinancing index was 3,483.9 in the previous week.

Deere & Co , one of the world's largest heavy equipment producers is expected to post a sharp increase in earnings per share on revenue of $7.8 billion, or $1.3 billion more than the same period a year ago.

The Commerce Department releases at 8:30 a.m. ET October personal income and consumption data. Economists expect a 0.3 percent rise in income and a 0.4 percent rise in spending. In September, income rose 0.1 percent, and spending was up 0.6 percent.

At 8:30 a.m. ET, the Commerce Department releases October durable goods orders. Economists expect a 1 percent drop in orders, compared with a 0.6 percent fall in September.

Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers release at 9:55 a.m. ET final November consumer sentiment index. Economists expect a reading of 64.5, compared with 64.2 in the preliminary November report.

At 10:30 a.m. ET, Economic Cycle Research Institute releases its weekly index of economic activity for November 18. In the prior week the index read 122.1.

French President Nicholas Sarkozy has embraced a German campaign for treaty change that could give European authorities intrusive powers to intervene in the national budgets of countries sharing the euro currency.

Pandora Media Inc shares fell 3.8 percent after the bell on Tuesday following its results.

The FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top European shares was down 0.3 percent on data showing China's factory sector shrank the most in 32 months in November as new orders slumped, reviving worries China may be skidding toward an economic hard landing. German manufacturing also contracted for a second straight month in November.

The U.S. Federal Reserve plans to stress test six large U.S. banks against a hypothetical market shock, including a deterioration of the European debt crisis, as part of an annual review of bank health.

The Australian arm of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp on Wednesday denied allegations it tried to influence a politician to vote against media law changes in the latest challenge for Murdoch's media empire.

Airbus and Boeing are bidding to sell around 150 jets to United Continental as the world's largest airline joins an industry-wide scramble for fuel savings, people familiar with the matter said.

U.S. stocks fell for a fifth day in a row on Tuesday, having lost more than 5 percent over that period as borrowing costs in Spain hit another record high.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 53.59 points, or 0.46 percent, at 11,493.72. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 4.94 points, or 0.41 percent, at 1,188.04. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 1.86 points, or 0.07 percent, at 2,521.28.

(Reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by Will Waterman)