Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed to a mixed open on Thursday, for the first session of the year 2014 as markets awaited the release of U.S. data later in the day after positive economic reports on Tuesday boosted U.S. equities.
Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.27% rise, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.10% slip, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.20% fall.
The S&P 500 posted its largest annual jump in 16 years on Tuesday and the Dow Jones its biggest gain in 18 years after the Conference Board said that its index of U.S. consumer confidence improved to 78.1 in December from 72.0 in November. Analysts had expected the index to rise to 76.0 this month.
The data came after Standard & Poor’s with Case-Shiller said that its house price index rose at an annualized rate of 13.6% in October from a year earlier, the strongest pace since February 2006 and above forecasts for an increase of 13%.
But markets were jittery after a report on Thursday showed that China’s final HSBC PMI inched down to 50.5 in December from a reading of 50.8 in November.
The data was published one day after a government report showed that China’s manufacturing PMI fell to a four-month low of 51.0 last month from 51.4 in November and worse than forecasts for a decline to 51.2.
Hertz Global Holdings was expected to remain in focus as the car-rental company said earlier in the week that it had adopted a one-year shareholder rights plan after "unusual and substantial activity" in its shares.
Phillips 66 was also likely to be active after saying Berkshire Hathaway would exchange about USD1.4 billion in shares to acquire a unit that produces chemicals to improve pipeline flow.
Elsewhere, Wal-Mart was slated to be in focus after the retailer said it had recalled donkey meat sold in China after tests showed the food contained the DNA of other animals.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 tumbled 1.01%, France’s CAC 40 retreated 1.19%, Germany's DAX declined 0.58%, while Britain's FTSE 100 dropped 0.53%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.14%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index remained shut for a national holiday.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce weekly jobless claims data as well as a report by the Institute of Supply Management on manufacturing activity.
Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.27% rise, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.10% slip, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.20% fall.
The S&P 500 posted its largest annual jump in 16 years on Tuesday and the Dow Jones its biggest gain in 18 years after the Conference Board said that its index of U.S. consumer confidence improved to 78.1 in December from 72.0 in November. Analysts had expected the index to rise to 76.0 this month.
The data came after Standard & Poor’s with Case-Shiller said that its house price index rose at an annualized rate of 13.6% in October from a year earlier, the strongest pace since February 2006 and above forecasts for an increase of 13%.
But markets were jittery after a report on Thursday showed that China’s final HSBC PMI inched down to 50.5 in December from a reading of 50.8 in November.
The data was published one day after a government report showed that China’s manufacturing PMI fell to a four-month low of 51.0 last month from 51.4 in November and worse than forecasts for a decline to 51.2.
Hertz Global Holdings was expected to remain in focus as the car-rental company said earlier in the week that it had adopted a one-year shareholder rights plan after "unusual and substantial activity" in its shares.
Phillips 66 was also likely to be active after saying Berkshire Hathaway would exchange about USD1.4 billion in shares to acquire a unit that produces chemicals to improve pipeline flow.
Elsewhere, Wal-Mart was slated to be in focus after the retailer said it had recalled donkey meat sold in China after tests showed the food contained the DNA of other animals.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 tumbled 1.01%, France’s CAC 40 retreated 1.19%, Germany's DAX declined 0.58%, while Britain's FTSE 100 dropped 0.53%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.14%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index remained shut for a national holiday.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce weekly jobless claims data as well as a report by the Institute of Supply Management on manufacturing activity.