US STOCKS-Futures near record highs as stimulus hopes build

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* Futures: Dow and Nasdaq up about 0.4%, S&P rises 0.3%

By Shriya Ramakrishnan
Dec 4 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures held near
all-time highs on Friday as growing prospects for further
economic stimulus and continued optimism over a COVID-19
vaccine-driven economic recovery lifted sentiment.
A bipartisan, $908 billion coronavirus aid plan gained
momentum in the U.S. Congress on Thursday, after a months-long
standoff between Republicans and Democrats over a stimulus
package for businesses and millions of people affected by
virus-led shutdowns. A Labor Department's closely watched report, expected at
8:30 a.m. ET (1330 GMT), is likely to show U.S. employers hired
the fewest workers in six months in November, hindered by a
resurgence in COVID-19 cases and a lack of more government
relief money. The unemployment rate is estimated to dip to 6.8% in
November from 6.9% last month.
So far positive vaccine updates from major drugmakers have
eclipsed bleak economic readings and a surge in infections,
setting the Wall Street's main indexes for another week of gains
after the benchmark S&P 500 .SPX clocked its best November.
Growing confidence that a working COVID-19 vaccine would be
administered before the end of the year has revived demand for
the hardest-hit airlines and tourism stocks.
Shares of U.S. carriers and cruise lines including American
Airlines AAL.O , Norwegian Cruise Line NCLH.N and Carnival
Corp CCL.N were up between 2% and 3.3% in premarket trade.
At 06:25 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis 1YMcv1 were up 120 points,
or 0.4%, and S&P 500 E-minis EScv1 were up 11.25 points, or
0.31%. Nasdaq 100 E-minis NQcv1 were up 44.75 points, or
0.36%.
Drugmaker Pfizer PFE.N fell 0.8%, extending declines from
the previous session when it flagged challenges in supply chain
for raw materials used in its COVID-19 vaccine.
Oil majors Exxon Mobil Corp XOM.N and Chevron Corp CVX.N
rose about 1.5% each, boosted by a rise in crude prices as major
producers agreed on a compromise on supply. O/R