Stocks set to stumble
Investors express disappointment with Apple, Amazon; earnings due from Ford, 3M.
LONDON (CNNMoney.com) -- Stock futures declined early Thursday as investors digested quarterly results from Apple and Amazon and awaited another round of corporate earnings.
At 5 a.m. ET, Nasdaq and S&P futures were lower and indicating a weak start for stocks.
Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) reported a jump in quarterly profit and sales late Wednesday, but the iPod maker's conservative outlook sent shares lower in after-hours trading.
Amazon.com (AMZN, Fortune 500) also posted robust results, but shares of the company fell 5% in after-hours trading as investors expressed disappointment with the company's profit margins.
Another string of earnings reports are due out Thursday. Ford (F, Fortune 500) and 3M (MMM, Fortune 500) report before the opening bell. Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) and American Express (AXP, Fortune 500) report after the market close.
Among companies to watch, Wendy's (WEN) is due to announce a deal with investor Nelson Peltz, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Peltz, one of Wendy's biggest investors, has been pushing for change at the hamburger chain.
Oil prices retreated. A barrel of light, sweet crude fell 27 cents to $118.03 a barrel in Asian electronic trading.
In global trade, Asian markets ended mixed. Japan stocks slipped, but shares in Shanghai rallied 9% after the government lowered tax on stock transactions. Major markets in Europe fell in early trading. 
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