Stock Futures Up, European Equities Down, Dollar Near Lows Ahead of Key Jobs Report

People are seen on Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, on March 19, 2021. Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Wall Street futures were up, European stocks slipped, and the U.S. dollar held near monthly lows on Friday ahead of the much-anticipated release of the key non-farm payrolls report later in the day that could spur the Federal Reserve to an earlier tapering of stimulus.

By 5:16 a.m. ET, Dow futures contracts were up 0.04 percent, S&P 500 futures were up 0.19 percent, and Nasdaq futures were up 0.01 percent, suggesting Wall Street could be poised for gains on the opening bell.