U.S. stock-index futures were higher,
indicating the Standard & Poor’s 500 gauge may hit a new
record, as market players awaited remarks from central bankers meeting
at the annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
VMWare Inc. climbed 1.1 percent in late New York trading
after saying it acquired CloudVolumes Inc. Sally Beauty Holdings
Inc. advanced 1.6 percent after authorizing a $1 billion share
buyback program.
Semtech Corp. rose 4.1 percent in Germany after posting quarterly earnings that beat estimates.
Futures on the S&P 500 expiring in September added 0.2 percent to 1,986.5 at 10:14 a.m. in London. The index rose 0.3 percent yesterday, closing within two points of a record, as minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting indicated the central bank will continue to support the U.S. economy. Dow Jones Industrial Average contracts rose 33 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,983 today.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen will speak on labor markets tomorrow at the Fed Bank of Kansas City’s economic symposium starting today. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi will also speak.
A report at 8:30 a.m. in Washington may show initial jobless claims fell to 303,000 in the week ended Aug. 16, from 311,000 in the previous period, according to the median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.
Another release at 9:45 a.m. may show a preliminary gauge
of manufacturing slipped to 55.7 this month from 55.8 in July.
Data may also show existing home sales expanded at a slower pace
in July and the Conference Board’s index of leading indicators,
a measure of the outlook for the next three to six months, rose
0.6 percent in July, following a 0.3 percent increase in June,
economists forecast.
