US Stock Future down

U.S. stock-index futures fell after a private report showed companies added the fewest jobs since July 2003, renewing concern a slump in housing is spreading to the broader economy.

Companies whose earnings are most dependent on economic growth led declines. Shares of Home Depot Inc., the world's largest home-improvement retailer, and Boeing Co., the second- biggest commercial planemaker, dropped.

``Everybody's worried the U.S. economy continues to slow further,'' said Juergen Lukasser, who helps manage $20 billion as head of equities at Constantia Privatbank AG in Vienna. ``If there's no soft landing, we'll see more than a correction at the stock markets.''

Stocks yesterday broke a weeklong slump and posted their biggest gains since July after Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson eased concern that rising mortgage defaults will undermine the economy. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index has fallen 4.4 percent from a six-year high on Feb. 20.

S&P 500 futures expiring in March lost 2.4 to 1393 as of 8:23 a.m. in New York. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell 28 to 12,187. Nasdaq-100 Index futures slid 3.5 to 1741.5.

Data from ADP Employer Services showed companies in the U.S. added 57,000 jobs last month following a January gain of 121,000. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News expected a February increase of 100,000. The figures show companies are tempering hiring in wake of a slowdown in the economy stemming from downturns in housing and manufacturing.