BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Jobless Claims, Pending Home Sales and first quarter GDP data are expected to impact the market sentiments on Thursday.
Asian shares finished lower, while European shares are trading mostly positive.
Investors are closely monitoring the U.S.-China trade tensions and the crisis in U.K. related departure from European Union.
Early signs from the U.S. Futures Index suggest that Wall Street might open
As of 7.49 am ET, the Dow futures were up 43 points, the S&P 500 futures were adding 8.00 points and the Nasdaq 100 futures were gaining 22.50 points.
The U.S. major averages ended Wednesday's session firmly in negative territory. The Dow slumped 221.36 points or 0.9 percent to 25,126.41, the Nasdaq fell 60.04 points or 0.8 percent to 7,547.31 and the S&P 500 dropped 19.37 points or 0.7 percent to 2,783.02.
On the economic front, first quarter GDP will be released at 8.30 am ET. The consensus is for 3.00 percent increase while it grew 3.2 percent in the prior week.
The GDP core price Index is expected to be 1.3 percent, unchanged from the prior quarter.
International Trade in Goods for April will be issued at 8.30 am ET. The consensus is for deficit of $71.9 billion, versus $71.4 billion in the prior month.
The Labor Department's Jobless Claims for the week will be issued at 8.30 am ET. The economists are looking for consensus of 215K while it was 211K in the previous week.
National Association of Realtors' Pending Home Sales Index for April will be published at 10.00 am ET. The consensus is for an increase of 0.5 percent, while it grew 3.8 percent in February.
The Energy Information Administration or EIA's Natural Gas Report for the week will be published at 10.30 am ET. In the prior week, change was up 100 bcf.
EIA's Petroleum Status Report for the week will be revealed at 11.00 am ET. In the previous week, the crude oil inventories were up 4.7 million barrels and Gasoline were up 3.7 million barrels.
Federal Reserve Board of Governors Vice Chairman Richard Clarida will speak at the Economic Club of New York Signature Luncheon on the topic of 'Sustaining Maximum Employment and Price Stability' in New York at 12.00 pm ET.
The Fed Balance Sheet for the week is expected at 4.30 pm ET. In the previous week, the level was $3.860 trillion.
The Fed Money Supply for week is scheduled at 4.30 pm ET. The M2 weekly change was a deficit of $3.0 billion.
Asian stocks ended broadly lower on Thursday. Chinese shares fell. The benchmark Shanghai Composite index eased 8.89 points or 0.31 percent to finish at 2,905.81 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended down 0.44 percent at 27,114.88.
Japanese shares hit a 3-1/2-month low. The Nikkei average dropped 60.84 points or 0.29 percent to 20,942.53. The broader Topix index closed 0.29 percent lower at 1,531.98, its lowest closing level since Jan. 11.
Australian markets followed global peers lower as renewed concerns over the U.S.-Sino trade war pulled down commodity prices. Australia's GDP growth will slow to a decade low in 2019. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 dropped 47.90 points or 0.74 percent to 6,392.10 while the broader All Ordinaries index ended down 47.40 points or 0.73 percent at 6,489.20.
European shares are trading broadly higher. CAC 40 of France is up 10.10 points or 0.19 percent. DAX of Germany is progressing 29.56 points or 0.25 percent. FTSE 100 of England is adding 25.46 points or 0.35 percent. Swiss Market Index is declining 138.90 points or 1.43 percent.
Euro Stoxx 50 that provides a Blue-chip representation of supersector leaders in the Eurozone, is up 0.32 percent.
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