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* 3M Co falls after earnings
* Verizon looking at bid for Verizon Wireless - sources
* Futures up: Dow 46 pts, S&P 6.4 pts, Nasdaq 13.25 pts
By Chuck Mikolajczak
NEW YORK, April 25 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futuresadvanced on Thursday, as investors dealt with a raft ofearnings, including those of 3M Co, along with data on the labormarket.
Dow component ExxonMobil Corp, the largest U.S.company by market capitalization reports its results Thursday, aday after the company boosted its quarterly dividend.
Fellow Dow component 3M Co reported a slight rise inprofit on modest growth in sales of its wide array of products,but shares fell 4.1 percent to $103.50 in premarket trading.
Qualcomm Inc lost 5.8 percent to $62.20 before theopening bell after the mobile chipmaker forecast earnings belowexpectations late Wednesday.
"The focus remains on the fact that companies continue tomostly beat expectations for earnings but also, many aredisappointing on the forecast," said Rick Meckler, president ofinvestment firm LibertyView Capital Management in Jersey City,New Jersey.
"So it is leaving investors with mixed feelings with no realreason to sell off stocks but not enough of a reason to reallydrive it materially higher - that pattern is likely to continuefor a while."
Companies expected to post earnings after the close include Amazon.com Inc and Starbucks.
Data on the labor market is due at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT)with the release of weekly initial jobless claims data.Economists in a Reuters survey forecast a total of 351,000 newfilings compared with 352,000 in the prior week.
Verizon Communications Inc will be in focus aftersources told Reuters it has hired advisers to prepare a possible$100 billion cash and stock bid to take full control of VerizonWireless from joint venture partner, Vodafone Group Plc.Verizon shares edged up 0.4 percent to $52 in light premarkettrade.
S&P 500 futures rose 6.4 points and were above fairvalue, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into accountinterest rates, dividends and time to expiration of thecontract. Dow Jones industrial average futures added 46points and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 13.25 points.
PulteGroup Inc, the No. 2 U.S. homebuilder, returnedto a quarterly profit after reporting a loss a year earlier, asit benefited from low mortgage rates. Shares fell 2.5 percent to$19.20 in premarket trade.
Akamai Technologies Inc surged 19.4 percent to$43.08 in premarket trading after the internet content deliverycompany forecast second-quarter results above analysts'expectations late on Wednesday.
Earnings season has been largely positive, with 68.4 percentof S&P 500 companies that have reported results so far beatingexpectations, according to Thomson Reuters data through Tuesdaymorning. Since 1994, 63 percent have surpassed estimates onaverage, while the beat rate is 67 percent for the past fourquarters.
Analysts see earnings growth of 3.1 percent this quarter, upfrom expectations of 1.5 percent at the start of the month.
European shares edged up on Thursday, with the benchmarkFTSEurofirst 300 index rising for a fifth straight session,helped by gains in car maker Volkswagen and telecomsgroup Vodafone
Asian shares rose, with recovering commodities and viewsthat a run of weak global economic data will encourage majorcentral banks to keep or deepen their monetary stimulusimproving risk sentiment.
