2014.03.0606:37:48UTC+00European stock-index futures follow Asian shares, US futures progress

As Asian shares and US futures increased, the European stock-index futures ascended before European Central Bank's interest rate decision and US data on jobless claims.

Deutsche Telekom AG might surge following a prediction for free cash flow and the sale of T-Mobile US Inc. is less probable in the near term. Vivendi SA might be active after receiving two bids for French phone unit SFR it was thinking to spin off. Gemalto NV might move after predicting growth this year.

Euro Stoxx 50 Index futures, to be expired this month, advanced 0.4% to 3,146 at 7:22 a.m. in London. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index was somewhat changed yesterday as figures showed the region's services output contracted faster than anticipated; US hiring lost projections. UK’s FTSE 100 Index contracts gained 0.3%.

The ECB’s 24-member Governing Council will issue its monthly interest rate decision for the euro area today at 1:45 p.m. in Frankfurt. ECB central bank President Mario Draghi will have a press conference at 2:30 p.m.

The Stoxx 600 fell 0.3% this week, heading towards its first weekly decrease since January, as European Union leaders will consider impacts for Russia at an emergency meeting today about Ukraine crisis.

Deutsche Telekom might shift. Germany’s biggest phone company said free cash flow will slightly escalate in 2015 after touching 4.2 billion euros in 2014. The phone giant, which works out greater spending to bolster its US business, earlier postulated free cash flow of around 6 billion euros for next year.