US stock-index futures little changed, banks advance

US stock-index futures were little changed as United Arab Emirates support for banks was offset by a report from the National Retail Federation that said consumers spent less over the Thanksgiving holiday. JPMorgan Chase & Co and Bank of America Corp rose in Germany. The Central Bank of the UAE said it “stands behind” the country’s lenders as they face losses from Dubai World’s possible default. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures expiring in December fell 0.1 per cent to 1,088.7 as of 9:51 am in London, as the S&P 500 gained 5.3 per cent so far this month. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped 0.2 per cent to 10,273 today and Nasdaq-100 Index futures slipped 0.2 per cent to 1,755.75. “Stock indexes are mixed this morning as investors” return from the Thanksgiving holiday, said London-based David Morrison, a market strategist at GFT. “We’re anticipating a quiet opening for US equities. Asian stocks made a strong recovery overnight and US investors are taking some comfort from this.”