U.S. stock futures pared their premarket gains but remained higher, as investors scrutinized an agreement among most European Union members to tighten fiscal coordination and eyed some disappointing U.S. corporate outlooks.</br></br>Less than an hour before Friday's opening bell, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures had risen 43 points, or 0.4%, to 11987. Standard & Poor's 500-stock index futures climbed five points, or 0.4%, to 1235 and Nasdaq 100 futures advanced six points, or 0.2%, to 2287.</br></br>Changes in stock futures don't always accurately predict stock moves after the opening bell.</br></br>The Dow is on pace to finish the week with meager gains. On Thursday, the blue-chip index suffered its biggest point drop in two weeks, falling 199 points to below 12000 for the first time since Nov. 29.</br></br>On Friday, investors grew optimistic after 23 of 27 European Union countries agreed to tougher fiscal rules, which led German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to push for a separate intergovernmental treaty.