U.S. stock futures signaled a higher open on Thursday, ahead of
the weekly jobless-claims report and a raft of same-store sales
numbers from retailers.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 34 points, or
0.2%, to 15476. Those for the S&P 500 index rose 3.30 points,
or 0.2%, to 1691.5, and futures for the Nasdaq 100 index picked up
9.50, or 0.3%, to 3125.5
The gains came after U.S. stocks declined on Wednesday, on
concerns about the timing of the Federal Reserve's pullback of its
monthly asset purchases.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has on several occasions stressed that
the tapering process is dependent on progress in economic data,
leaving investors scrutinizing macroeconomic releases out of the
U.S.
On Thursday, weekly jobless-claims data will be on tap at 8:30
a.m. Eastern Time. Claims are expected to come in at 339,000 for
the week ended Aug. 3, compared with 326,000 at the end of July,
according to economists polled by MarketWatch.
In Thursday's trading, retailers are in the spotlight, ahead of
the monthly releases on sales numbers. Costco Wholesale Corp.
(COST), which publishes its figures earlier than most others, said
comparable sales rose 4% in July, falling short of analysts'
estimates of a rise of 5.1%.
In other corporate news, shares of Groupon Inc. (GRPN) shot up
25% in thin premarket trading, after the daily-deal site late
Wednesday reported second-quarter sales ahead of expectations.
Additionally, it tapped Eric Lefkofsky as chief executive, more
than five months after firing Andrew Mason from that post.
Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA) rose 12% ahead of the open, after the
electric-car maker said it delivered more vehicles than expected
during the quarter, boosting revenue and resulting in a surprise
adjusted profit.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (GMCR) slipped 2.5%
premarket. The company on Wednesday reported revenue that missed
expectations.
In other financial markets, Asia stocks closed mostly higher
after Chinese trade data showed a rise in both exports and imports
in July. European stocks showed broad-based gains.
Metals prices were higher across the board, while oil prices
moved lower. The dollar traded lower against most major
currencies.
Write to Sara Sjolin at Sara.Sjolin@marketwatch.com
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