Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- European stock futures and Asian stocks advanced on continuing speculation that Europe’s leaders will reach an agreement to contain the sovereign-debt crisis and as investors awaited decisions on interest rates. U.S. index futures were little changed.

BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s biggest mining company, advanced in Australian trading as metal prices rose. Atos SA, a French computer-services company, may move after a newspaper reported that the company confirmed its targets. Next Plc may slip after Barclays Plc cut its recommendation on the shares.

Futures on the Euro Stoxx 50 Index, a benchmark for the euro region, gained 0.8 percent to 2,184 at 7:07 a.m. in London. Futures on the U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index added 0.8 percent.

“Traders are showing some reserve, preferring to sit on the sideline ahead of key central bank announcements,” Jonathan Sudaria, a trader at London Capital Group, wrote in a note.

Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index expiring in December rose 0.1 percent, while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 2.7 percent.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index gained 3.1 percent yesterday as investors speculated that euro-area policy makers are working on plans to boost bank capital to contain the debt crisis. The gauge had declined 5 percent in the previous three days, leaving it trading at 9.1 times estimated earnings, near the cheapest since March 2009, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

--Editor: Will Hadfield

To contact the reporter on this story: Adria Cimino in Paris at acimino1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Rummer at arummer@bloomberg.net