Stocks ready to rebound
Futures point higher for Wall Street; retail sales and jobless claims jump; oil retreats; bid for Bud brewer in focus.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Stock futures rose Thursday as investors welcomed a jump in retail sales and $46 billion takeover bid for brewer Anheuser-Busch.
At 8:44 a.m. ET, Nasdaq and S&P futures were higher and suggesting a positive open for Wall Street.
Economy: The government reported increases to retail sales as well as weekly jobless claims.
Retail sales increased 1% in May, compared to an expected increase of 0.5% from analyst expectations. Retail sales, excluding automobiles and gas, rose 1.2% in May, compared to expectations of a 0.7% increase.
The government reported that new jobless claims jumped to 384,000 for the week ended June 7, up from 357,000 for the prior week, and exceeding analyst expectations of 370,000.
Bud bid: St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch (BUD, Fortune 500), the brewer of Budweiser, said late Wednesday it received an unsolicited $65-a-share buyout offer from Belgian rival InBev. Anheuser-Busch shares jumped 7% in after-hours trading.
The takeover offer is likely to help stocks rebound from Wednesday's sharp fall. Stocks tanked after oil prices spiked and amid worries about the weak economy.
Crude prices tumbled in early electronic trading Thursday as the dollar climbed. U.S. crude for July delivery dropped $2.14 to $134.24 a barrel in electronic trading.
Company news: Battered mortgage lender Thornburg Mortgage (TMA) swung to a first-quarter loss of $3.31 billion. The company blamed the loss on delinquent loans.
Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) said it plans to close down its hedge fund Old Lane Partners. Citi paid more than $800 million last year for the fund that was co-founded by CEO Vikram Pandit.
Starbucks (SBUX, Fortune 500) said it entered a deal with European beverage vender SSP to open more than 150 Starbucks stores in Europe.
Other markets: Corn futures for July delivery rose 30 cents to $7.032 in early electronic trading. Corn shot above $7 a bushel for the first time on Wednesday due to flooding in the Midwest.
In global trade, Asian stocks finished the session lower. European markets gained in morning trading. 
-
Not even ultra-dapper President Obama could help Hartmarx, the Chicago-
based clothing maker. More -
The company has gone to the chickens despite producing 42 million dozen table eggs per year. More -
This Bay-area town sought assistance after plunging property tax revenue left coffers empty. More -
The bloom is off this celebrity florist as corporate budgets for flower arrangements disappear. More -
Isn't it ironic that a company with a mission to help others avoid bankruptcy was unable to help itself? More
