NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Stocks were poised for a mixed start Thursday as investors awaited some reports on the labor market.

Dow Jones industrial average futures were lower, while Nasdaq-100 and S&P-500 futures were up slightly.

Futures measure current index values against their perceived future performance and offer an indication of how markets may open when trading begins.

Stocks rose Wednesday as the falling dollar boosted commodity stocks, and a rise in wholesale inventories and an upgrade of 3M provided some optimism.

LONDON (CNNMoney.com) — U.S. stock futures rose Friday, supported by solid results from Google, although gains were slight as investors awaited more earnings reports.

At 4:41 a.m. ET, S&P 500, Nasdaq-100 and Dow Jones industrial average futures were a shade higher.

Futures measure current index values against their perceived future performance and offer an indication of how markets may open when trading begins.

Stocks have been on a roll recently. The Dow hit a fresh one-year high Thursday and closed above the 10,000 mark for the second straight session.

LONDON (CNNMoney.com) — U.S. stock futures edged lower Tuesday as investors expressed caution ahead of a slew of earnings reports.

At 4:45 a.m. ET, S&P 500, Nasdaq-100 and Dow Jones industrial average futures were a shade lower.

Futures measure current index values against their perceived future performance and offer an indication of how markets may open when trading begins.

Investors are on edge ahead of a wave of third-quarter earnings this week.

They also may pause for breath after pushing the Dow to a fresh one-year peak on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods fell unexpectedly in August, dropping by their biggest margin in seven months, following a plunge in commercial aircraft orders, the government reported Friday.

The Commerce Department said durable goods orders tumbled 2.4%, the largest decline since January, after rising by a revised 4.8% in July. New orders for July were previously reported to have increased 5.1%.

Analysts polled by Reuters forecast orders rising 0.5% in August. Compared with the same period last year, new orders were down 24.9%.

Durable goods orders are a leading indicator of manufacturing activity, which in turn provides a good measure for overall business health.

U.S. stock index futures fell on the report, while government bond prices rose.

“This is a bit of a reality check for people. It means there is more to be done and we are not out of the woods yet,” said Doug Roberts, chief investment strategist at Channel Capital Research.com in Shrewsbury, N.J.

LONDON (CNNMoney.com) — U.S. stock futures sank Monday as investors worried about the economic impact of a global swine flu outbreak.

At 4:58 a.m. ET, Dow Jones industrial average, Standard & Poor’s 500 and Nadaq 100 futures were sharply lower.

Futures measure current index values against perceived future performance and offer an indication of how markets may open when trading begins in New York.

Swine flu outbreak: The World Health Organization has called the outbreak of swine flu a “public health emergency of international concern.”