US stock index futures tried to rise above, but made relatively lukewarm gains on Sunday night, even as Congress reached an agreement with a $ 900 billion coronavirus aid package. Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average {s: ym00]increased by 57 points, or 0.2%, to 30,172, those for the S&P 500 ES00,
were fixed at 3,705.75, while Nasdaq-100 futures rose 0.2% to 12,740.50. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said late Sunday he described the deal, which many market participants see as vital to helping troubled U.S. workers and businesses, as “far from perfect.” . The agreement, which still requires a vote on Congress, would emerge as the COVID-19 pandemic erupts in much of the country. The aid package would allow eligible Americans to receive direct payments of $ 600 and $ 300 per week in increased federal unemployment benefits. It would come after the stock market closed mixed on Friday, in the last full trading week of December, with Dow DJIA,
ending with 124.32 points, or 0.4%, lower at 30,179.05, S&P 500 SPX,
finishing with 13.07 points, or 0.4%, to close at 3,709.41, after reaching an intraday record at 3,726.70. Nasdaq Composite Composite Index,
it lost 9.11 points, or 0.1%, to close at 12,755.64 on Friday, after hitting an intraday all-time high of 12,809.60. Congressional efforts toward a new aid package to combat the damaging economic effects of the pandemic have been linked to an annual $ 1.4 trillion fiscal spending package, with lawmakers working to prevent the government from closing at 12 p.m. 01