By Carla Mozee, MarketWatch

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks were looking at a higher open on Thursday, with better-than-expected quarterly results from Caterpillar Inc. bolstering futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Shares of 3M Co. and General Motors Co. also moved up ahead of the bell following quarterly results from the industrial conglomerate and the auto maker. Stock futures revved up earlier after key eurozone data came in better than anticipated, and updates on the U.S. manufacturing sector and the labor market are on deck for Thursday's session.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJZ4) climbed 99 points, or 0.6%, at 16,525, and those for the S&P 500 (SPZ4) gained 10 points, or 0.5%, to 1,935. Futures for the Nasdaq-100 (NDZ4) jumped 21 points, or 0.5%, to 3,970.

Dow futures before the deluge of corporate results surged by more than 100 points after data firm Markit said the initial October reading of its eurozone manufacturing purchasing managers index reached a two-month high at 50.7, above expectations of a reading at 50. The report offered some upbeat news at a time when worries about slowing global economic growth have prompted investors to sell off equities world-wide.

But the report also suggested manufacturers and service providers don't expect a significant pickup in the pace of activity in the coming months.

U.S. stocks on Wednesday finished lower, with the S&P 500 index (SPX) losing 0.7%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) down 0.9% and the Nasdaq Composite (RIXF) off 0.8%.

Data: Markit will release its initial October purchasing manufacturing index for the U.S. at 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time. Ahead of that, the Labor Department is slated to release weekly jobless-claims data at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Economists polled by MarketWatch expect an increase in claims back up to 285,000.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency at 9 a.m. Eastern is scheduled to post a report on home prices for August, and the Conference Board's leading indicators data are set for release at 10 a.m. Eastern.

Earnings: Ahead of the opening bell, shares of Dow industrials component Caterpillar (CAT) leapt 6%. The heavy-equipment maker raised its earnings outlook for the year to $6.50 a share, from $6.20, while keeping the midpoint of its revenue view unchanged. Third-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.72 a share outstripped expectations of $1.36 a share.

3M (MMM), another component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, said third-quarter earnings were $1.98 a share, above expectations of $1.96 a share from a FactSet survey of analysts. Sales of $8.1 billion, however, were shy of Wall Street's estimate of $8.227 billion. Shares of the maker of Post-it notes and other industrial goods rose 1.5%.

General Motors (GM.XX) posted earnings, excluding one-time costs, of 97 cents a share, higher than projections of 95 cents a share. GM rose 2%.

Cable company Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) said third-quarter profit climbed 50%, benefitting from a one-time income-tax adjustment and a boost in earnings at its NBCUniversal entertainment unit. Shares edged up 0.1% premarket.

Drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) reported a 58% drop in third-quarter earnings and a 16% fall in revenue, driven by patent expirations and competition from generic medications.

Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of 55 cents a share, more than Wall Street's estimate of 53 cents a share. Shares gained 2.9% in premarket trade.

Under Armour (UA), which makes athletic apparel, reported third-quarter profit and sales above expectations, but shares fell 4.3% in premarket trade after surging 51% so far this year.

Elsewhere premarket, shares of Yelp (YELP) dropped 12%. The online review site late Wednesday posted better-than-expected third-quarter results but issued a weak outlook.

After the bell, Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) will release financial reports.

Other markets: In Asia overnight, stocks in Tokyo and Hong Kong finished modestly lower. European stocks were swung between gains and losses. Gold futures (GCZ4) fell and oil prices (CLZ4) edged up.

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