Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed to a lower open on Thursday, after the Federal Reserve gave no clear indication on when it plans to scale back its bond buying program.
Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.06% dip, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.13% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.34% decline.
Global equities came under pressure after the Fed on Wednesday left its USD85 billion-a-month asset purchase program in place and gave no clear indication whether it would start scaling back stimulus at the December meeting or continue it into the start of 2014.
"The housing sector has slowed somewhat in recent months," the Fed statement said. However, Fed officials stuck to the view that the economy is expanding "at a moderate pace" and said downside risks were diminishing.
Starbucks Corp. plummeted 1.65% in pre-market trade after the world’s largest coffee-shop chain said sales at stores open at least 13 months rose 8% in its China and Asia Pacific region in the fiscal fourth quarter, less than analysts' estimates.
Adding to losses, Visa Inc. plunged 2.98% in early trading after the bank-card network said revenue rose less than projected.
On the upside, Facebook surged 4.37% pre-market after posting earnings that exceeded market estimates.
Separately, the social media giant's Chief Financial Officer David Ebersman said the company will limit news-feed ads and younger teens aren’t using its website as much as they used to.
Other stocks likely to be in focus included Exxon Mobil, MasterCard, Avon Products, Discovery Communication and Time Warner Cable, all scheduled to report quarterly earnings later in the day.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were mixed. The EURO STOXX 50 added 0.11%, France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.09%, Germany's DAX slipped 0.18%, while Britain's FTSE 100 declined 0.51%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index retreated 0.42%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index tumbled 1.20%.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release data on initial jobless claims and a report on manufacturing activity in the Chicago region.
Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.06% dip, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.13% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.34% decline.
Global equities came under pressure after the Fed on Wednesday left its USD85 billion-a-month asset purchase program in place and gave no clear indication whether it would start scaling back stimulus at the December meeting or continue it into the start of 2014.
"The housing sector has slowed somewhat in recent months," the Fed statement said. However, Fed officials stuck to the view that the economy is expanding "at a moderate pace" and said downside risks were diminishing.
Starbucks Corp. plummeted 1.65% in pre-market trade after the world’s largest coffee-shop chain said sales at stores open at least 13 months rose 8% in its China and Asia Pacific region in the fiscal fourth quarter, less than analysts' estimates.
Adding to losses, Visa Inc. plunged 2.98% in early trading after the bank-card network said revenue rose less than projected.
On the upside, Facebook surged 4.37% pre-market after posting earnings that exceeded market estimates.
Separately, the social media giant's Chief Financial Officer David Ebersman said the company will limit news-feed ads and younger teens aren’t using its website as much as they used to.
Other stocks likely to be in focus included Exxon Mobil, MasterCard, Avon Products, Discovery Communication and Time Warner Cable, all scheduled to report quarterly earnings later in the day.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were mixed. The EURO STOXX 50 added 0.11%, France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.09%, Germany's DAX slipped 0.18%, while Britain's FTSE 100 declined 0.51%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index retreated 0.42%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index tumbled 1.20%.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release data on initial jobless claims and a report on manufacturing activity in the Chicago region.