Futures higher ahead of ECB meeting, private jobs data

By Tanya Agrawal

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shortly after the opening bell June 2, 2015.

Reuters/Lucas Jackson

U.S. stock index futures were higher on Wednesday ahead of the European Central Bank's monetary policy meeting and the release of private sector job numbers.* The ECB is widely expected to reaffirm its commitment to a trillion-euro asset purchase program.
* U.S. private employers are expected to have added 200,000 jobs in May, a jump from the 169,000 jobs added in April. The data, expected at 8:15 a.m. ET (1215 GMT), is a precursor to the U.S. Labor Department's non-farm payrolls report on Friday, which includes both public and private-sector employment.

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* Also due on Wednesday are trade deficit numbers for April at 8:30 a.m. ET and the Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing index for May at 10:00 a.m.
* Investors have been keeping a keen eye on
economic data for clues on the timing of a rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve - the first in nearly a decade.
* U.S. stock markets closed down on Tuesday as a jump in bond yields hit utilities and other top dividend payers.
* Synchronoss Technologies' (SNCR.O) shares jumped 17.6 percent to $50 in premarket trading after the Wall Street Journal reported that the software maker was working on a possible sale that could be valued at more than $2 billion.
* Guess (GES.N) inched up 0.4 percent to $18.73 after reporting a quarterly profit, compared with a loss in the year-earlier period.
Futures snapshot at 7:18 a.m. ET:
* S&P 500 e-minis ESc1 were up 7 points, or 0.33 percent, with 109,242 contracts traded.
* Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQc1 were up 18.25 points, or 0.41 percent, on volume of 19,044 contracts.
* Dow e-minis 1YMc1 were up 54 points, or 0.3 percent, with 16,463 contracts changing hands.