Get ready for earnings to start rolling in.
Investors will have plenty of reports to wade through Thursday, with quarterly results due before the opening bell from firms including Goldman Sachs (GS) and Citigroup (C).
BlackRock (BLK) shares jumped after the investment firm reported significant increase in quarterly profit and revenue.
Intel (INTC) and American Express (AXP) are scheduled to report in the afternoon.
U.S. stock futures were looking soft as investors wait for more reports before making any bold moves.
The U.S. government is set to release the monthly consumer price index, its key measure of inflation, at 8:30 a.m. ET. It will also publish its weekly report on initial jobless claims.
In other corporate news, CEC Entertainment, (CEC) the owner of Chuck E. Cheese, announced that it had entered a $1.3 billion merger agreement with Apollo Global Management (APO).
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U.S. stocks finished higher Wednesday, with the S&P 500 closing at a new record high. The run-up came on the back of strong bank earnings and solid economic reports.
J.C. Penney (JCP) shares slipped in premarket trading Thursday after the ailing retailer announced plans to eliminate 2,000 jobs and close 33 stores.
Shares in Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) are moving up ahead of the opening bell as investors feel optimistic about the firm's plans to sell some new tablets in the Indian market.
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European and Asian markets posted mixed results. Overall, the market moves were tepid.
The benchmark Australian index rose by 1.2%, with miners leading the market higher.
