07:11 AM EDT, 10/04/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity markets were pointing higher before the open Friday as traders await the national employment situation report for September.

Standard & Poor's 500 increased 0.3%, the Nasdaq added 0.4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1% in premarket activity. The majority of Asian exchanges and European bourses were trending upwards.

The jobs report for last month is scheduled for an 8:30 am ET release. Government data is expected to show nonfarm payroll growth of 150,000 in September, which would mark an acceleration from the 142,000 gain reported the month before, according to a consensus compiled by Bloomberg.

Friday's economic calendar also has the weekly Baker Hughes domestic oil-and-gas rig count at 1 pm. Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams is scheduled to speak at 9 am.

Shares of Spirit Airlines ( SAVE ) fell 39% pre-bell following media reports that the low-cost carrier was in talks with bondholders about a potential bankruptcy filing. EVgo ( EVGO ) declined 0.8% after surging 61% at the close of Thursday's trading session as the company received a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $1.05 billion from the Department of Energy.

Apogee Enterprises ( APOG ) is set to report its latest financial results early Friday.

Before the opening bell, bitcoin rose 0.8% to $61,334, West Texas Intermediate crude oil advanced 1.6% to $74.92 per barrel, yields on 10-year Treasuries inclined 1.1 basis points to nearly 3.86% and gold was up less than 0.1% to $2,680 an ounce.