BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The highlights on Thursday are a few economic announcements such as Jobless claims for the week, Productivity and Costs report, PMI Services Index for August as well as Factory Orders.
Investors are also awaiting Federal Chairman Jerome Powell's speech on Friday.
The political turmoil in U.K and the new hope of Ministerial level trade talks between U.S. and China are adding enthusiasm to investors.
Asian shares finished mostly higher, while European shares are trading broadly up.
The major averages ended the session near their best levels of the day. The Dow advanced 237.45 points or 0.9 percent to 26,355.47, the Nasdaq soared 102.72 points or 1.3 percent to 7,976.88 and the S&P 500 jumped 31.51 points or 1.1 percent to 2,937.78.
As of 8.00 am ET, the Dow futures were adding 225.00 points, the S&P 500 futures were up 24.00 points and the Nasdaq 100 futures were progressing 82.25 points.
The U.S. major averages ended the session higher on Wednesday. The Dow advanced 237.45 points or 0.9 percent to 26,355.47, the Nasdaq soared 102.72 points or 1.3 percent to 7,976.88 and the S&P 500 jumped 31.51 points or 1.1 percent to 2,937.78.
On the economic front, 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, unchanged from the previous week.
The Labor Department's Productivity and Costs report for the second quarter will be published at 8.30 am ET. The consensus is for an increase of 2.3 percent, in line with the prior quarter.
PMI Services Index for August will be released at 9.45 am ET. The consensus is for 50.9, down from 53.00 in the prior month.
The Commerce Department's Factory Orders for July will be revealed at 10.00 am ET. The consensus is for an increase of 1.00 percent, while it was up 0.6 percent in the prior week.
The Institute For Supply Management's Non-manufacturing Index for August will be issued at 10.00 am ET. The consensus is for 54.0, while it was slightly down at 53.7 in the prior month.
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, the change was decline of 60 bcf.
Three -year, ten year Treasury Note auction will be held at 11.00 am ET. The 30-year Treasury bond auction will be held at 11.00 am ET.
The Fed Balance Sheet for the week is expected at 4.30 pm ET. In the previous week, the level was $3.76 trillion.
The Fed Money Supply for week is scheduled at 4.30 pm ET. The M2 weekly change was a deficit of $5.00 billion.
Asian stocks finished broadly higher on Thursday. Chinese stocks closed higher. The benchmark Shanghai Composite index climbed 28.45 points, or 0.96 percent, to 2,985.86 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slid marginally to finish at 26,515.53.
Japanese shares hit a one-month high. The Nikkei average climbed 436.80 points, or 2.12 percent, to 21,085.94. The broader Topix index closed 1.83 percent higher at 1,534.46.
Australian markets closed higher. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index inched up 60.20 points, or 0.92 percent, to 6,613.20 while the broader All Ordinaries index ended up 64.70 points, or 0.97 percent, at 6,720.80.
European shares are trading broadly higher. CAC 40 of France is adding 47.67 points or 0.86 percent. DAX of Germany is progressing 77.86 points or 0.65 percent. FTSE 100 of England is losing 51.24 points or 0.70 percent. Swiss Market Index is up 47.26 points or 0.47 percent.
Euro Stoxx 50 that provides a Blue-chip representation of supersector leaders in the Eurozone, is up 0.76 percent.
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