Wall Street set to edge up in shortened session

24/12/2008 - 10:07

(Reuters) - Wall Street is set to open slightly higher on Wednesday, with futures for the Dow Jones and S&P 500 up 0.1 percent at 4:40 a.m. EST. Futures for the Nasdaq were flat.

Highlights:

* Weekly jobless claims data is due at 8:30 a.m. EST, with initial claims expected to edge up.

* Durable goods and personal consumption data is also due at 8:30 a.m. EST.

* There are no major companies due to report.

* U.S. stocks fell in thin trading on Tuesday on further deterioration in the housing market. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 1.2 percent; the Standard & Poor's 500 Index slid 1 percent and the Nasdaq Composite Index shed 0.7 percent.

* The NYSE will close at 1:00 p.m. EST. It will be closed on Thursday, Christmas Day, and reopen on Friday, December 26.

(Reporting by Brian Gorman; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)