US Stock Futures Up; Jobless Claims, GDP Data In Focus

US stock futures are higher this morning, as investors are awaiting economic data. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 69 points to 13,026.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 7.90 points to 1,415.00. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 18.25 points to 2,678.75. US stocks closed higher on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 0.83% to 12,985.11, the S&P 500 index rising 0.79% to 1,409.93 and the Nasdaq 100 index surging 0.81% to 2,991.78. Data on weekly jobless claims and Q3 gross domestic product will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET. The National Association of Realtors is expected to report pending home sales for October at 10 a.m. ET. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $1.06 per share on revenue of $629.72 million. Barnes & Noble

is expected to post a Q2 loss at $0.11 per share on revenue of $1.88 billion. Tiffany & Co

is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.63 per share on revenue of $859.11 million. Beacon Roofing Supply

is estimated to report its Q4 earnings at $0.60 per share on revenue of $599.61 million. Kroger Co

is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.43 per share on revenue of $21.62 billion. Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance

is estimated to post its Q3 EPS at $0.56 on revenue of $504.11 million. Zumiez

is expected to post its Q3 EPS at $0.48 on revenue of $182.30 million. Aeropostale

issued downbeat fourth-quarter earnings outlook. Guess'

reported a drop in its third-quarter profit. The company also announced its plans to pay a special cash dividend of $1.20 per share. Coldwater Creek

posted a narrower fiscal third-quarter loss. European markets were higher today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index rose 0.80%, London's FTSE 100 Index gained 0.89%, French CAC 40 Index surged 1.06% and German DAX 30 index rose 0.71%. Asian markets ended mostly higher, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rising 0.99%, China's Shanghai Composite dropping 0.51% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gaining 0.62%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 0.99% and India's Sensex jumped 1.75%. Oil futures for January delivery gained $1.00 to trade at $87.49 a barrel, while gold for December delivery surged $71.0 to $1,723.60 an ounce.