After stimulus-hungry investors were disappointed by this week's Federal Reserve and ECB announcements, they'll turn to today's nonfarm payroll report in hopes it will fuel action from the U.S. central bank. In particular, they'll be hoping payroll additions fall well below the 100,000 person consensus estimate. It may seem counterintuitive, but stocks could actually see a big boost from a poor report -- or a negative reaction to strong numbers. So sit back, relax, and watch as those focused on the short term react to a number that, in the grand scheme of things, has no real importance.

In the meantime, here's a snapshot of where futures markets stood as of this writing.

Futures Index

Gain/Loss

Gain/Loss %

Value

Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEX: ^DJI) 96 0.7% 12,927
Nasdaq 21 0.8% 2,639
S&P 500 (INDEX: ^GSPC) 9 0.7% 1,371

Among Dow components to report today is consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG). The company, which in late June lowered guidance for the quarter, is expected to report an 8% drop in earnings per share to $0.77 on a 3% drop in revenue.

Away from the Dow, shares of professional social network LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD) are trading about 8% higher in premarket activity after topping analyst revenue forecasts and meeting earnings expectations. The company also provided a solid boost to its full-year outlook, in contrast to fellow social networker Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), which failed to provide any outlook when it reported last week.

That lack of transparency is one reason shares of Facebook fell below the $20 threshold for the first time since going public. Down nearly 50% from its IPO price, the stock is certainly cheaper than it was a month ago, but that doesn't mean it's time for investors to dive in. In our brand-new premium report on Facebook, our analyst dives into the key issues you have to be aware of before investing in the company. You'll also receive a full year of ongoing updates to go with it, so be sure to click here and claim your copy today.