US pre-open: Futures edge lower on rising oil prices, Iran tensions.


Wall Street futures were in the red ahead of the bell on Thursday as a rebound in oil prices and renewed geopolitical tensions weighed on sentiment ahead of a key inflation print.

New York Stock Exchange

Source: Sharecast

As of 1245 BST, Dow Jones futures were down 0.19%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures had the indices opening 0.26% and 0.49% weaker, respectively.

The Dow closed 182.60 points higher on Wednesday, reversing losses recorded in the previous session.

Thursday's primary focus will likely be April's personal consumption expenditures index at 1330 BST, with the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure expected to show a 0.5% month-on-month increase and a year-on-year rise of 3.8%. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, economists expect to see increases of 0.3% and 3.3%, respectively.

Elsewhere on the macro front, weekly jobless claims from the Labor Department will be released at 1330 BST, as will April durable goods orders, while April new home sales figures were slated for release at 1500 BST.

Also in focus, West Texas Intermediate crude rose 2.93% prior to the opening bell, moving back above $91 a barrel after the US military carried out fresh strikes in Iran. The gains come hot on the heels a sharp pullback on Wednesday, when secretary of state Marco Rubio said talks with Iran had made some progress.

In the corporate space, Dollar Tree posted said comparable sales had come in higher last quarter as price rises offset a decline in customer traffic, jumping 3.5% in the first quarter and topping estimates, while Best Buy reported Q1 results that came in ahead of Wall Street expectations as key product launches and higher tax refunds gave sales a boost.

Costco and Dell Technologies will report earnings after the close.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

Compare our accounts

If you're looking to grow your money over the longer term (5+ years), we have a range of investment choices to help.

Halifax is not responsible for the content and accuracy of the Markets News articles. We may not share the views of the author. Understand the risks, please remember the value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invest. We don't provide advice so if you are in any doubt about buying and selling shares or making your own investment decisions we recommend you seek advice from a suitably qualified Financial Advisor. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.