US Stock Futures Mixed As Traders Await The Job And Housing Data And The EU Summit

US stock futures are mixed this morning, as the traders are awaiting the jobs and housing data as well as the summit of European leaders to begin in Brussels. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 5 points to 11,410 and S&P 500 futures fell 0.70 points at 1,231.40. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.75 points to 2,202. The Dow index was low on Wednesday by 0.2%. The initial jobless claims along with the housing data for November are due to begin at 8:30 am ET. The December Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey is set to be released after 10 am ET. FedEx Corp. FDX is set to report its quarterly results today. Positive sentiments ruled the European markets today. While STOXX Europe 600 Index has gained 0.20%, London's FTSE 100 Index moved up 0.14%. Asian markets ended in the mixed territory, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average adding 0.02%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 moving up 0.32% and China's Shanghai Composite losing 0.46%. Oil futures fell $0.50 to $88.12 per barrel. Gold futures were at $1,385.50 an ounce. Future euro-zone debt crisis will be the topic of discussion at the EU summit. EU leaders will discuss how to respond to and prevent the crisis, at the two-day summit. Greece and Ireland are seeking aid due to the huge debt loads. Portugal and Spain too might need to seek similar assistance. Today, bonds worth $3.18 billion were sold by the Spanish Government. However, yields saw a sharp rise due to a previous sale. Keeping in mind the high refinancing needs of the nation in the year 2011, Moody's Investors Service might downgrade Spain's credit rating this week. Read more from Benzinga's Markets.