Investing.com – U.S. stock futures pointed to a higher open on Thursday, as market sentiment was boosted by stronger-than-expected data on non-farm payrolls and first time jobless claims.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a gain of 0.5%, the S&P 500 futures advanced 0.8%, while Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.65% increase.
Stock futures added to gains after payroll processing firm ADP said that U.S. non-farm private employment rose by 157K in June, blowing past expectations for a gain of 60K.
Separately, official data showed that first time jobless claims declined by 14K to 418K last week, outstripping expectations for a decline to 420K.
Meanwhile, shares in telecommunications company Sprint Nextel jumped 2.9% in pre-market trade amid speculation Apple’s next generation iPhone will be retailed by the company.
Clothing retailer Limited Brands saw shares climb 2.4% after it reported same-store sales rose by 12% in June. Shares of GAP rose 2.1% after same-store sales rose by 1%, rebounding from last month’s 4% drop.
Other retailers could be active as major companies release monthly sales data throughout the day.
Shares in data storage manufacturer Western Digital gained 1.2%, while rival Seagate Technology climbed 2.6% after JP Morgan upgraded their rating on the stocks to ‘overweight’
On the downside, credit card processing giant Visa saw shares drop 2.1% after it warned that earnings growth would slow in 2012 after the Federal Reserve's new debit card interchange fees come into effect.
Starbucks saw shares slide 1.5% after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to ‘neutral’ from ‘conviction buy’.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were broadly higher. The EURO STOXX 50 gained 0.8%, France’s CAC 40 added 0.75%, Germany's DAX advanced 0.7%, while Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.72%.
Earlier Thursday, the European Central Bank raised its benchmark interest rate to 1.50%, while the Bank of England kept rates on hold, in widely expected moves.
During the Asian trading session, Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index dipped 0.1%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Send Index edged 0.1% higher.
Later in the day, the U.S. was release a report on crude oil inventories, as well as data on natural gas stockpiles.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a gain of 0.5%, the S&P 500 futures advanced 0.8%, while Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.65% increase.
Stock futures added to gains after payroll processing firm ADP said that U.S. non-farm private employment rose by 157K in June, blowing past expectations for a gain of 60K.
Separately, official data showed that first time jobless claims declined by 14K to 418K last week, outstripping expectations for a decline to 420K.
Meanwhile, shares in telecommunications company Sprint Nextel jumped 2.9% in pre-market trade amid speculation Apple’s next generation iPhone will be retailed by the company.
Clothing retailer Limited Brands saw shares climb 2.4% after it reported same-store sales rose by 12% in June. Shares of GAP rose 2.1% after same-store sales rose by 1%, rebounding from last month’s 4% drop.
Other retailers could be active as major companies release monthly sales data throughout the day.
Shares in data storage manufacturer Western Digital gained 1.2%, while rival Seagate Technology climbed 2.6% after JP Morgan upgraded their rating on the stocks to ‘overweight’
On the downside, credit card processing giant Visa saw shares drop 2.1% after it warned that earnings growth would slow in 2012 after the Federal Reserve's new debit card interchange fees come into effect.
Starbucks saw shares slide 1.5% after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to ‘neutral’ from ‘conviction buy’.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were broadly higher. The EURO STOXX 50 gained 0.8%, France’s CAC 40 added 0.75%, Germany's DAX advanced 0.7%, while Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.72%.
Earlier Thursday, the European Central Bank raised its benchmark interest rate to 1.50%, while the Bank of England kept rates on hold, in widely expected moves.
During the Asian trading session, Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index dipped 0.1%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Send Index edged 0.1% higher.
Later in the day, the U.S. was release a report on crude oil inventories, as well as data on natural gas stockpiles.