LONDON: Wall Street was set for a second straight day of gains on Thursday, with futures comfortably in positive territory on the back of an upbeat session in Asia, where the volatile Chinese markets are closed for two days.
Investors were also waiting for U.S. jobless claims data, as well as the latest policy decision from the European Central Bank.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average YMU5, +0.38% climbed 51 points, or 0.3%, to 16,381, while those for the S&P 500 index ESU5, +0.32% added 6.65 points, or 0.3%, to 1,953.50. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index NQU5, +0.35% gained 24 points, or 0.6%, to 4,284.
The indicated advances come after all three benchmarks closed out Wednesday firmly higher, after the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book painted a more optimistic economic picture of the U.S. economy than analysts had feared. The report soothed worries about the possible impact of the slowdown in China, which has taken a toll on markets in recent weeks.
On Thursday, stock markets in the world’s second-largest economy were closed for the WWII victory day parade, providing “much desired respite from the economy and market that has been at the heart of the elevated global volatility of late,” said analysts at Accendo Markets in a note.
