After ending yesterday's session moderately lower following late-day volatility, stocks are likely to show a strong move to the upside in early trading on Thursday. The major index futures are currently pointing to a sharply higher open for the markets, with the S&P 500 futures jumping by 1.6 percent.
The considerable upward momentum on Wall Street comes as traders continue to digest the Federal Reserve's decision on Wednesday to slash interest rates by 50 basis points.
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April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.