U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.1 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.1 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.04 percent at 4.10 a.m. EST.

A U.S. government report is expected to show the economy stopped shedding jobs last month for the first time since it slid into recession two years ago. The data is due at 8.30 a.m. A Reuters survey of 84 economists on Thursday forecast nonfarm payrolls would be flat in December after dropping by 11,000 in November, far fewer than in previous months.

Tech shares will be in focus after TSMC <2330.TW>, the world's largest contract chipmaker, said on Friday its December sales more than doubled from a year earlier, boding well for 2010 as new computers and other high-tech gadgets boost demand.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc was sued on Thursday by an Illinois pension fund seeking to recover billions of dollars of bonuses and other compensation being awarded for 2009, saying the payouts harm shareholders.

Marriott International said it expects North American hotels' revenue per available room will drop by 13 to 14 percent in the fourth quarter, a slight improvement over earlier projections.

NBC's experiment in moving late-night comedian Jay Leno to prime-time television looked to be near its end on Thursday amid several reports that the network will return Leno to its late-night lineup.

India's Reliance Industries Ltd has sweetened its offer to buy a controlling stake in LyondellBasell Industries that values the bankrupt chemicals firm at $13.5 billion, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.

American Airlines has raised its offer of investment in Japan Airlines Corp <9205.T> by $300 million to $1.4 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site.

Intel Corp released a flurry of new computer chips on Thursday as it seeks to maintain its dominance over rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc and prepare for an expected rise in demand.

Bank of America Corp will pay its investment bankers bonuses close to the levels of 2007, as it tries to reduce defections following its takeover of Merrill Lynch & Co., the Wall Street Journal said late Thursday.

Exxon Mobil Corp is looking to sign a contract for a Transocean Ltd rig capable of drilling in Arctic waters that will cost up to $1 billion to build, according to a person familiar with the rig.

Apollo Group Inc , parent of University of Phoenix, said it received a report from the U.S. Department of Education related to the untimely return of federal student loans, sending its shares down more than 5 percent.

Japan's Nikkei stock average hit a 15-month high on Friday, with chip-related shares climbing on increasing global demand for high-tech products, while European stocks were up 0.5 percent in morning trade, led by buoyant banking stocks such as Deutsche Bank and Barclays , boosted by a bullish broker note on the investment banking sector.

The Dow and the S&P 500 rose on Thursday after Bank of America and General Electric rallied on positive broker comments, but investors were cautious a day before the release of key monthly non-farm payrolls data.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 33.18 points, or 0.31 percent, to end at 10,606.86. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> added 4.55 points, or 0.40 percent, to 1,141.69. But the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> slipped 1.04 points, or 0.05 percent, to 2,300.05.

(Reporting by Blaise Robinson; Editing by Mike Nesbit)

India Investment Bank of america