U.S. stock futures slip ahead of jobless claims
U.S. stock futures inched lower on Thursday, with investors staying on the sidelines after firm gains earlier in the week and ahead of jobless claims ahead of the open. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 44 points, or 0.3%, to 17,578, while those for the S&P 500 index dropped 5.20 points, or 0.3%, to 2,050. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index fell 14.25 points, or 0.4%, to 4,467.75. The losses follow Wednesday's positive close for U.S. equities as markets continued to benefit from dovish comments by Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen. Overall, expectations that the Fed is on the cusp of raising interest rates again have fallen over the past month, helping boost U.S. stock markets. The Dow average is on track for a 7.3% monthly gain, which would be the best since October. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were also on track for their best monthly performances since October.
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