U.S. futures steady ahead of earnings, data By: MarketWatch February 03, 2011 at 05:53 AM EST U.S. stock futures straddle the flat line, as investors await jobless-claims data and earnings reports from corporate giants Merck and Dow Chemical. Read More >> Related Stocks: Dow Chemical Kellogg Co Merck & Co New York Times Company Royal Dutch Shell Plc ADR Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.