* Weaker dollar drives metals prices, mining stocks higher
* Canadian govt blocks BHP's bid for Potash
* Futures up: S&P 9.9 pts, Dow 65 pts, Nasdaq 16.25 pts
* For up-to-the-minute market news see []
(Updates prices, adds quote, byline)
By Angela Moon
NEW YORK, Nov 4 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks index futures rose
on Thursday as more monetary stimulus from the U.S. Federal
Reserve aimed at boosting the ailing economy fueled investor
risk appetite.
The Fed plan to buy $600 billion in Treasuries, announced
on Wednesday, was more than anticipated but less than hoped for
by many economists. For details, see []
Mining stocks were among the biggest gainers in the
European market, with metal prices driven by a weaker U.S.
dollar after the Fed announcement. The dollar fell 0.8 percent
against a basket of major currencies <.DXY>.
World stocks rose strongly, touching new two-year highs, as
the afterglow of the Fed's asset buying plan spread across
markets.
"The Fed said just the right thing at the right time, right
temperature. I would like to see more volume pick up in
trading, but we are seeing some good momentum that could carry
this rally to the end of the year," said Tom Schrader, managing
director of U.S. equity trading at Stifel Nicolaus Capital
Markets in Baltimore.
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For PDF on Fed decision:
http://r.reuters.com/cyh73q
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U.S.-listed shares of BHP <BLT.L><BBL.N> were up 4.7
percent at $77.45 in premarket trade after the Canadian
government blocked its $39 billion bid for Potash Corp of
Saskatchewan Inc <POT.TO>. New York-traded shares of Potash
<POT.N> fell 4.5 percent to $139.00 premarket. []
U.S.-listed shares of Unilever Plc <ULVR.L><UL.N> jumped
5.6 percent to $30.99 premarket after it matched forecasts with
a rise in third-quarter sales. []
New claims for unemployment benefits, due at 8:30 a.m. EDT
(1230 GMT), are expected to edge up to 443,000 after dropping
to a three-month low of 434,000 the week before. The forecast
is based on a survey by Reuters of 42 economists. It is the
final jobless report before the closely watched non-farm
payrolls data on Friday.
S&P 500 futures <SPc1> rose 9.9 points and were above fair
value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account
interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the
contract. The futures were above 1200 for the first time since
early May.
Dow Jones industrial average futures <DJc1> gained 65
points, and Nasdaq 100 futures <NDc1> rose 16.25 points.
Both the Dow <> and Nasdaq <> closed at levels not
seen since 2008 on Wednesday, while the S&P 500 <.SPX> ended at
a six-month high.
MSCI's all-country world stocks index was up 1.2 percent to
two-year highs on Thursday and within reach of levels just
before the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
Costco Wholesale Corp <COST.O>, the largest U.S. warehouse
club operator, said October sales jumped 6 percent, topping
expectations on an increase in gasoline prices and strong
foreign currency translations.
Liz Claiborne Inc <LIZ.N> reported a narrower third-quarter
loss and forecast positive same-store sales in the fourth
quarter. But the stock was down 3.9 percent at $5.99.
Kraft Foods Inc <KFT.N>, North America's largest packaged
food maker, is due to report quarterly results less than two
months after it said it hopes to add $1 billion in additional
revenue by 2013 after its purchase of Britain's Cadbury.
Other companies reporting include coffee chain Starbucks
Corp <SBUX.O>.
(Reporting by Angela Moon; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
