Futures hold steady as earnings reports roll in

By Abhiram Nandakumar

REUTERS - U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Thursday as oil prices steadied and investors braced for a barrage of earnings reports that could provide fresh catalysts to drive the market.

* Crude notched small gains after the International Energy Agency said 2016 would see the biggest fall in non-OPEC production in more than two decades.

* Global stocks edged up ahead of a meeting of the European Central Bank (ECB), which is widely expected to remain ultra-accommodative with its monetary policy.

* While the ECB and other central banks worldwide have been exploring further easing monetary policies to boost sluggish growth, the Federal Reserve has embarked on a plan to raise interest rates as the U.S. economy shows signs of resilience.

* Data at 8:30 a.m. ET (1230 GMT) is expected to show jobless claims rose to 263,000 last week from 253,000 the week before, as the strength in the labor market cools slightly.

* Investors are sharply focused on earnings reports for a reading on the health of corporate balance sheets amid the turmoil in the global economy and financial markets.

* S&P 500 companies are seen reporting a 7.5 percent fall in quarterly profit on average, and a 1.3 percent decline in revenue, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

* Revenue growth remains a key influence. American Express shares were up 3.8 percent premarket after revenue rose for the first time in five quarters, while Mattel sank 7.1 percent after sales fell.

* D.R. Horton and Southwest Airlines were up about 3 percent each after both joined other companies that reported profits ahead of estimates.

* Qualcomm shares were down 2.4 percent at $52.09 after the chipmaker forecast profit below estimates.

* Better-than-expected earnings and a rebound in oil helped Wall Street to a higher close on Wednesday as the S&P 500 inched closer towards its record high of 2,134.72.

* Several key companies are slated to report after the market closes on Thursday, including Alphabet, Starbucks, Microsoft and Visa.

Futures snapshot at 6:59 a.m. ET:

* Dow e-minis were up 9 points, or 0.05 percent, with 18,764 contracts changing hands.

* S&P 500 e-minis were up 0.75 points, or 0.04 percent, with 169,888 contracts traded.

* Nasdaq 100 e-minis remained unchanged, on 22,055 contracts.

(Reporting by Abhiram Nandakumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Don Sebastian)