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Amazon.com ( AMZN ) jumps as retail strength boosts profit

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Chevron ( CVX ), Exxon rise after results

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US jobs growth slows sharply in October

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Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures up about 0.5%

(Updated at 8:52 a.m. ET/1252 GMT)

By Lisa Pauline Mattackal

Nov 1 (Reuters) -

Stock indexes were poised for a higher open on Friday, as

Amazon's ( AMZN ) strong earnings mitigated Apple's ( AAPL ) weaker China sales

and investors weighed a sharp reduction in U.S. jobs growth in

October.

Amazon.com ( AMZN ) soared 6.9% in premarket trading, as

strong retail sales increased its profit above Wall Street

estimates.

Meanwhile, Apple ( AAPL ) dropped 1.7% despite beating

quarterly sales forecasts, as investors worried about a decline

in China sales.

U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 12,000 jobs last month,

much smaller than economists' estimate of an increase of 113,000

jobs, amid disruptions from hurricanes and strikes by aerospace

factory workers.

The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, in-line with

expectations and reassuring investors that the labor market

remained on a solid footing ahead of the U.S. presidential

election.

"From an investment standpoint, this doesn't really

change much in terms of what's expected from a Fed standpoint or

thoughts around the slowing economy. We have to look past this

month's data and see what comes out in the following months,

when there's much less noise," said Charlie Ripley, senior

investment strategist for Allianz Investment Management.

After the data was released, investors largely stuck to bets

that the central bank would cut rates by 25 basis points in

November as well as December.

Treasury yields, which had dropped on Friday, have risen to

nearly four-month highs in recent weeks, pressuring equities, as

traders speculate the Fed would adopt a less dovish stance.

U.S. manufacturing PMI data is due later in the day.

The Nov. 5 U.S. election is also on investors' minds, with

many analysts predicting a close race and some uncertainty over

the final outcome. The Fed's November meeting kicks off the

following day.

Unsurprisingly, equity volatility has risen in recent days,

with the CBOE Volatility Index trading at a more than

three-week high.

S&P 500 E-minis were up 29.5 points, or 0.51%.

Nasdaq 100 E-minis rose 102.25 points, or 0.51% and Dow

E-minis added 217 points, or 0.52%

All three major indexes were on track for weekly declines,

with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite set for

their worst week in eight.

Intel ( INTC ) jumped 6.8% after a better-than-expected

revenue forecast and lifted other chip stocks, with Nvidia ( NVDA )

rising 1.2%.

Cost warnings on AI-related infrastructure from Meta

Platforms ( META ) and Microsoft ( MSFT ) saw the Nasdaq

tumble 2.7% in its worst day in nearly two months.

Shares of Boeing ( BA ) rose 2.4% after a union of striking

workers endorsed an improved contract offer that includes a 38%

pay rise, with members expected to vote on Monday.

Oil majors rose, with Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) adding 2.2% and

Chevron ( CVX ) up 2.1% after both companies beat third-quarter

profit estimates on higher oil output.

Of the S&P 500 companies that have reported

third-quarter results, 77.2% have beaten analysts' expectations,

according to LSEG data as of Thursday, roughly in line with the

past four quarters' 79% average.