http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-...link=MW_Nav_FP


LONDON (MarketWatch) — U.S. stock futures pointed to solid gains for Wall Street Thursday after plans to enhance Europe’s bailout fund comfortably passed a key vote in Germany, while traders also awaited U.S. data on jobs and second-quarter gross domestic product.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average /quotes/zigman/2976950 DJ1Z +0.40% rose 79 points to 11,055, while those on the Standard & Poor’s 500 index SP1Z +0.55% added 8.40 points to 1,157.10.

Nasdaq 100 futures ND1Z +0.43% rose 19.75 points to 2,238.25.

The gains for futures came after U.S. stock markets tumbled on Wednesday, with the Dow Industrials /quotes/zigman/627449/delayed DJIA -1.61% closing down around 180 points, amid concerns that European leaders still haven’t been able to reach a consensus on how to handle the debt crisis.

European stock markets were also mostly higher Thursday, with the Stoxx Europe 600 index /quotes/zigman/2380150 XX:SXXP -0.26% up 0.2%. German law makers voted overwhelmingly to approve expanding the lending power and flexibility of the European Financial Stability Facility, with 523 members of the lower house of parliament backing the plan, while 85 opposed it.

Markets also awaited a further breakdown of how many legislators from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition opposed the plan, as a significant rebellion from inside the coalition would make her position weaker.

“If she loses the ‘chancellor’s majority,’ then this could spell trouble for the ruling party and the opposition will start to call for an election,” said Capital Spreads CEO Simon Denham, ahead of the vote. “Such destabilization is precisely not what the euro zone needs right now.”

The dollar dropped against major rivals, with the euro climbing 0.8% to $1.3629, while gold, silver and crude-oil futures all moved modestly higher.

On the domestic front Thursday, U.S. investors will also be keeping an eye on weekly jobless claims figures at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. Economists polled by MarketWatch expect claims to slip to 417,000 from 423,000 a week earlier.

At the same time, the third and final reading of U.S. second-quarter gross domestic product will be announced. Economists expect growth to be revised up to 1.2% from 1%.

Among stocks to watch, shares in Advanced Micro Devices Inc. /quotes/zigman/216580/quotes/nls/amd AMD -10.89% dropped 9.9% in premarket trading after the chip maker cut its third-quarter sales forecast late Wednesday.