US stock futures slip ahead of earnings, data

Jobless claims are expected to have ticked higher during the week ended Oct. 16

U.S. stock futures ticked lower ahead of a flurry of earnings reports and economic indicators including jobless claims and home sales.

Futures on the S&P 500 fell 0.3% and futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.2%. Changes in futures don’t necessarily predict moves after the opening bell.

Europe stocks declined Thursday. The Stoxx Europe 600 was lower 0.5% in morning trade. Consumer staples and energy sectors posted the main losses while the healthcare sector rose.

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Trader David O'Day works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) (AP)

The U.K.’s FTSE 100 was down 0.5%. Other stock indexes in Europe also mostly slipped as France’s CAC 40 shed 0.6%, the U.K.’s FTSE 250 lost 0.4% and Germany’s DAX fell 0.5%.

The Swiss franc, the euro and the British pound lost 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.2% respectively against the U.S. dollar.

In commodities, international benchmark Brent crude declined 0.6% to $85.28 a barrel. Gold also slipped 0.2% to $1,781.80 a troy ounce.

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The yield on German 10-year bunds gained to minus 0.116% and 10-year U.K. government debt known as gilts yields were up to 1.165%. 10-year U.S. Treasury yields rose to 1.659% from 1.635%. Bond yields move in the opposite directions to prices.

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Stocks in Asia were mixed as China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite climbed 0.2%, whereas Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.8% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 index was lower 1.9%.

An artificial-intelligence tool was used in creating this article.