Stock futures inch up amid cliff wranglings
MADRID (MarketWatch) — U.S. stock market futures moved cautiously higher on Tuesday, coming off losses the prior day fueled by disappointing manufacturing numbers. A lack of data on the calendar will leave investors to zero in on stalemating U.S. budget negotiations.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (CBOT JZ2) rose 15 points to 12,965, while those for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index (GLC:SPZ2) inched up 1.3 points to 1,408.40.

Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index (CME:NDZ2) rose 3.75 points to 2,673.75.

The data deluge starts up again on Wednesday with factory orders among items on offer, while nonfarm payrolls loom for Friday.

“I’m expecting the weekly jobs numbers [due Thursday], as well as the bigger monthly read at week end, to confirm the overall trend of slow economic recovery that has been under way since early 2009,” said Paul Theron, chief executive officer of Johannesburg-based Vestact in an email interview. He has $150 million under management in both South Africa and the U.S.
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