U.S. stock were pressured before the opening bell, as the financial sector took a hit once again. Less than two hours before the start of trading, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 64 points lower at 11567. The S&P 500 futures slipped 6.4 to 1281.3, and Nasdaq 100 futures lost 5.25 to 1891. American International Group, a Dow component, posted a worse-than-forecast $5.36 billion loss on more mortgage-related write-downs after the close of trading Wednesday. It was the company's third consecutive multibillion-dollar quarterly loss, underscoring the continuing problems for the big insurer posed by the housing market. Crude-oil futures rose $2 to $120.
