U.S. stock futures retained the bulk of an early advance on Thursday after data that had weekly jobless claims rising more than expected, but ongoing claims revised lower.

  U.S. stock futures headed higher on Thursday, as investors looked past worse-than-forecast weekly jobs data as Citigroup reportedly prepared to buy out the government’s stake in the lender.

  Smithfield Foods reports its fourth straight quarterly loss Thursday as hog producers work to lower supplies and combat a drop in exports.

  The number of people filing claims for state unemployment benefits rises by 17,000 to a seasonally adjusted 474,000, while the total number of people claiming benefits of any kind topped 10 million, a sign of very sluggish hiring, the Labor Department reports.

  German truck maker Man SE was fined 150.6 million euros ($222 million) on Thursday for allegedly paying bribes to obtain favorable treatment at two of its units.

  Costco Wholesale Corp. says fiscal first-quarter net income was flat even as revenue rose 5.5%.

  Equities in Dubai rebounded on Thursday after three days of sharp losses, with property developer Emaar saying that it would not proceed with its planned merger with Dubai Holding.

  Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Thursday’s session are Anadarko, Citi, Costco, Gildan, Lilly, Lululemon, Pall, Rockwell Automation and Smithfield.

  The U.S. dollar was mixed against major rivals Thursday, but downside versus the euro was limited by ongoing worries about budget stresses within the euro zone.

  France may be the next country to introduce a one-time tax on banker bonuses as French President Nicolas Sarkozy joined U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown in calling for a global response to what many view as excessive pay.