Before The Bell
U.S. retail sales, ECB in focus
Wall Street is pointing higher on Thursday after the European Central Bank left its key rate unchanged, as expected, and looked to comments from ECB President Mario Draghi. A number of U.S. retail stores reported increases in same-store sales. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5% and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.5%. European stock markets held on to gains and most Asian markets fell Thursday as skepticism the European Central Bank will announce bold measures to ease the region's debt troubles turned investors cautious a day after the Federal Reserve also refrained from further monetary stimulus.
Indications: Stock futures retain gains; waiting on Draghi
U.S. stock-index futures held gains Thursday after the European Central Bank left its key rate unchanged, as expected, and looked to comments from ECB President Mario Draghi.
U.S. jobless claims rise 8,000 to 365,000
Europe markets: Europe stocks stay higher after ECB rate decision
European stock markets held on to gains in afternoon trade on Thursday, after the European Central Bank kept its key lending rate unchanged, with investors awaiting ECB President Mario Draghi's news conference and hoping for action to curb the region's debt crisis.
ECB rates unchanged; all eyes on Draghi
U.K. index up as investors await ECB
S&P cuts Cyprus rating to BB on bailout concerns
Asia markets: Most Asia markets end down amid ECB skepticism
Most Asian markets fell Thursday as skepticism the European Central Bank will announce bold measures to ease the region's debt troubles turned investors cautious a day after the Federal Reserve also refrained from further monetary stimulus.
Sony net loss widens from year-ago to Y24.64B
Bank of East Asia beats with 10% net-profit rise
Mitsubishi Corp. group profit falls more than 15%
Metals: Gold straddles $1,600 as central banks eyed
Gold futures straddled the $1,600-an-ounce mark level Thursday as investors weighed the potential for monetary stimulus from the European Central Bank in the aftermath of the Federal Reserve's refraining from providing more stimulus for the U.S. economy.
Currencies: Euro gains on dollar as ECB news conference eyed
The euro edged higher against the U.S. dollar as the markets watched out for the European Central Bank to announce a policy stimulus measure amid a fair degree of skepticism.
Corporate
Macy's same-store sales rise 4.1% in July
Abercrombie & Fitch shares decline premarket
Target's same-store sales rise 3.1% in July
Gap's July same-store sales soar above estimates
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