U.S. stock futures point to a lackluster opening Thursday morning following mixed closing in the previous session, as traders await customary weekly jobless claims report for the day and brace for he all-important non-farm payroll numbers for September tomorrow. Anxiety over Federal Reserve's announcement of fresh measures, and policy direction from the ECB and the Bank of England will also be on traders' focus. The earnings season will officially start today with Alcoa slated to release the results after the markets close.
As at 6.15 a.m ET, the Dow futures were up 11.00 points, the S&P 500 futures were up 1.50 points, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures were 0.75 points.
On the economic front, the Labor Department will release its customary weekly jobless claims report for the week ended October 2nd at 8.30 a.m. ET. Economists expect jobless claims to come in at 475,000 for the week, higher than the 453,000 reported for the previous week.
The Federal Reserve will table its report on monthly consumer credit for August at 3.00 p.m. ET. Economists expect that consumer credit declined by $3 billion for the month, following a $3.6 billion drop in July.
In other global economic news, key decisions from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England with regard to interest rates and additional measures will be in traders focus
Earnings season will officially begin from today.
Before the market opens, PepsiCo (PEP) will release its quarterly results for the third quarter, while belwether Alcoa Inc. (AA) will release its report card after the markets close for trading.
Traders might also focus on significant announcements/results released after the markets closed in the previous session.
Hospitality service provider Marriott International Inc. (MAR) reported a profit for the third quarter over a net loss last year, mainly due to the absence of restructuring charges as well as impairment charges related to the Timeshare segment. Quarterly results also benefited from increased room rates amid the improving trend in business and leisure stays in hotels. Looking ahead, the company forecast earnings for the fourth quarter in-line with analysts' estimate, while it narrowed its earnings outlook for the full year 2010.
Blood-testing equipments maker Immucor Inc. (BLUD) reported first quarter profit that remained essentially flat with last year, as revenue grew slightly and margins declined. The company's quarterly earnings per share came in line with analysts' expectations. However, the company lowered its revenue and earnings outlook for the fiscal year 2011, sending its shares down by more than 17% in after hours trading.
Oil Light sweet crude oil for November delivery is presently quoted at $83.67 a barrel, up $0.43 a barrel from its previous close of $83.23 a barrel in New York on Wednesday.
Dollar The US dollar is oresently hovering around the 15-year low against the Japanese yen and fresh multi-month lows against the euro and the pound.
World Markets Mixed trading was witnessed among the Asian markets open for trading on Thursday. The Chinese market was closed for a holiday. The markets in Australia and Hong Kong managed to end in positive territory with modest gains, while the markets in India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan ended in negative territory on profit taking and caution ahead of key economic data in the US over the next two days including today's session. The Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.1% for September, same as in August. The European markets recovered the earlier losses and are presently trading in positive territory with modest gains.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.