Stock futures climb after Fed minutes, data eyed

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures rose slightly on Thursday, a day after minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting indicated a willingness among Fed officials to take measures soon to stimulate the economy.

Various purchasing managers' index surveys suggested the euro zone is firmly in recession and China's manufacturing sector is contracting at a faster pace than earlier believed. Data at 8:58 a.m. ET (1258 GMT) is expected to show that growth in the U.S. factory sector slowed slightly in August.

The data adds to expectations that central banks, including the Fed and the ECB, will act in support of stalling economies around the globe.

However, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said on CNBC that U.S. data has been somewhat better since the latest Fed meeting and the minutes were "a bit stale."

Also in the U.S. data calendar, first-time claims for weekly unemployment insurance are due at 8:30 a.m. (1230 GMT).Economists forecast a total of 365,000 new filings, compared with 366,000 in the prior week.

The Commerce Department releases new home sales for July at 10:00 a.m. (1400 GMT). Economists forecast a total of 365,000 annualized units, compared with 350,000 in June.

S&P 500 futures rose 1.1 point and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 16 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures added 4points.

Hewlett-Packard shares fell 4.8 percent in premarket trading after the company posted an $8.9 billion quarterly loss as personal computer sales shrank again, and the company reported a write-down linked to its $13.9 billion purchase of Electronic Data Systems Corp.

Big Lots shares slid 16 percent in light premarket trading after the retailer reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit and cut its full-year adjusted earnings forecast.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Bernadette Baum)