|
 * Dow components 3M, Caterpillar and McDonald's report results
before the bell, while technology majors Microsoft, Alphabet, AT&T
and Amazon are due to report after the close.
* Dow Chemicals rose 3.2 percent to $49.00 premarket after its
results. * Global stocks were up ahead of a policy-setting meeting
by the European Central Bank (ECB). Chinese stocks recovered from
Wednesday's selloff.
* The ECB is unlikely to take new policy steps as it awaits fresh
indications about the outlook for euro zone inflation.
* U.S. data scheduled for Thursday includes unemployment benefits
claims. The data, due at 08:30 a.m. ET, is expected to show last
week's claims increased to 265,000.
* Existing home sales are expected to have grown 1.4 percent to an
annual rate of 5.38 million units in September. The data is due at
10:00 a.m.
* Investors will parse the earnings reports and the data for clues
that could help decide the timing of an interest rate hike by the
U.S. Federal Reserve.
* The Fed, which kept rates unchanged at near-zero levels at a
September meeting, has said it will wait for signs of sustained
global economic resilience before pulling the trigger.
* U.S. stocks closed lower on Wednesday after a sharp slide in
Valeant Pharmaceuticals <VRX.N> weighed on healthcare stocks.
Valeant's shares were down 1.6 percent to $116.75 premarket.
* Community Health Systems sank 18.3 percent to $33.11
premarket after it posted disappointing outlook late on Wednesday.
Other hospital operators Lifepoint, HCA Holdings and Tenet
Healthcare also fell 5 to 8.5 percent. * American Express fell 4.5
percent to $73.10 after its quarterly profit missed estimates.
[to top of second column] |
* eBay rose 8.9 percent to $26.36 and Texas Instruments were up 7.9
percent at $56.00 after they reported better-than-expected
third-quarter results.
Futures snapshot at 6:57 a.m. ET:
* S&P 500 e-minis were up 7.75 points, or 0.39 percent, with
96,275 contracts traded.
* Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 19.5 points, or 0.44 percent, on volume
of 13,924 contracts.
* Dow e-minis were up 51 points, or 0.3 percent, with 12,203
contracts changing hands.
(Reporting by Abhiram Nandakumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Don
Sebastian)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
