By Saumya Vaishampayan 

U.S. stock futures fell Thursday, weighed down by soft economic reports from Europe and China.

S&P 500 futures declined six points, or 0.3%, to 2094. E-mini Dow futures lost 56 points, or 0.3%, to 17889, and e-mini Nasdaq-100 futures slipped 11 points, or 0.3%, to 4434. Changes in stock futures don't always accurately predict moves in the stock market after the opening bell.

Data showing the eurozone's economy slowed in April weighed on European stocks. Germany's DAX fell 1.3% and France's CAC 40 lost 1%.

Chinese manufacturing activity fell to a one-year low, another sign of a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy. Asian stocks were mixed, with the Hang Seng Index losing 0.4% and the Shanghai Composite Index adding 0.4%.

The economic reports from Europe and China weighed on stocks in premarket trading, as slowing global growth casts a shadow over the outlook for U.S. corporate profits.

"We know it's not easy for U.S. corporations to increase earnings meaningfully at this point in the cycle," said Dan Morris, global investment strategist at TIAA-CREF, which oversees $611 billion. Companies had been looking to sell more products in Europe, where the European Central Bank is attempting to kick-start growth, he said. "That was one of your bright spots, and that bright spot just got a little less bright," he added.

U.S. stocks rose Wednesday, with gains in technology stocks propelling the Nasdaq Composite closer to its 15-year-old record. The Nasdaq advanced 0.4% to 5035.17, ending just 0.3% shy of its record close of 5048.62 from March 2000. The Dow rose 0.5% to 18038.27 and the S&P gained 0.5% to 2107.96.

While the Dow and S&P have minted several records in the last six years of a bull market, most recently on March 2, the Nasdaq has yet to breach its all-time high from the tech bubble. The tech-heavy index crossed 5000 for the first time since 2000 on March 2 and made another run at its record in late March.

Investors continued to focus on first-quarter earnings reports.

General Motors Co. reported a $945 million net profit in the first quarter, but its operating performance fell short of expectations. Shares slipped 3.3% premarket.

Procter & Gamble Co. said sales fell 7.6% in the March quarter due to the strong dollar. Shares fell 1.7% premarket.

In economic news, jobless claims in the most recent week are expected to slip to 290,000 from 294,000 in the previous period. Later in the morning, readings on manufacturing in April and March home sales are also due.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.959% from 1.972% on Wednesday. Yields fall as prices rise. Gold futures added 0.3% to $1190.50 an ounce. Crude-oil futures rose 0.3% to $56.35 a barrel.

Write to Saumya Vaishampayan at saumya.vaishampayan@wsj.com

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