Pre-open movers
U.S. stock futures traded higher in early pre-market trade. Data on initial jobless claims for the latest week and import prices
for March will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET. Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari is set to speak in Minneapolis
at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 110 points to 24,277.00, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures rose
13 points to 2,654.00. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index gained 37.50 points to 6,630.25.
Oil prices traded lower as Brent crude futures fell 0.36 percent to trade at $71.80 per barrel, while US WTI crude futures fell
0.18 percent to trade at $66.70 a barrel. The Energy Information Administration’s weekly report on natural gas stocks in
underground storage is schedule for release at 10:30 a.m. ET.
A Peek Into Global Markets
European markets were higher today, with the Spanish Ibex Index rising 0.13 percent, STOXX Europe 600 Index climbing 0.32
percent and German DAX 30 index gaining 0.50 percent. The UK's FTSE index was trading higher by 0.01 percent, while French CAC 40
Index rose 0.32 percent.
In Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average fell 0.49 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed 0.55 percent, China’s
Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.56 percent and India’s BSE Sensex rose 0.47 percent.
Broker Recommendation
Analysts at KeyBanc downgraded J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT) from Overweight to Sector Weight.
JB Hunt shares rose 1.49 percent to close at $113.09 on Wednesday.
Breaking news
-
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE: DAL) reported
better-than-expected profit for its first quarter on Thursday.
-
Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) reported upbeat
earnings for its fourth quarter, while revenue missed estimates.
-
BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) posted
stronger-than-expected profit for its first quarter.
-
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: BLCM)
disclosed that the FDA has lifted its hold on BPX-501 study.
© 2018 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.