U.S. Stock-Index Futures Advance; Exxon, Google Shares Climb

U.S. stock-index futures rose on improved earnings prospects at energy and technology companies, this year's best performing industries.

Exxon Mobil Corp. and ConocoPhillips led a rally in fuel producers after oil prices advanced to a record. Google Inc., owner of the world's most popular Internet search engine, climbed to an all-time high after Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. said the shares may rise 17 percent on better-than-expected overseas sales.

Standard & Poor's 500 Index futures expiring in December added 7.1 to 1,512.5 as of 9:15 a.m. in New York. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 50 to 13,605. Nasdaq-100 Index futures increased 11.5 to 2,224.25. Stocks in Asia and Europe also climbed.

``The earnings numbers will continue to move higher, certainly outside of financials,'' said Lincoln Anderson, who helps oversee about $165 billion as chief investment officer at LPL Financial Services in Boston. ``We still have a very solid base for earnings in the other sectors of the market.''

Energy and technology companies in the S&P 500 have each rallied more than 20 percent this year for the top gains among 10 industries. Excluding financial firms, whose shares have tumbled 16 percent this year amid credit-market losses, earnings increased 7.3 percent for S&P 500 members that reported through yesterday. Analysts had projected a 4.9 percent profit gain, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Stock futures also advanced on speculation investor demand for debt used to finance takeovers is reviving after people familiar with the situation said bankers for Chrysler LLC plan to start selling $10 billion of loans to investors this week.
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