U.S. stock futures were mixed in Thursday morning trade after the Federal Reserve signaled no imminent plans for dialing back asset purchases.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials popped 135 points, or 0.4%, to 34,969.
Futures for the S&P 500 pointed higher 9.25 points, or 0.2%, to 4,403.
Futures for the NASDAQ Composite Index dipped 3.75 points to 15,007.75.
The major averages are on track to end the month higher, with the S&P up 2.4% for July. The NASDAQ has progressed 1.8% and the Dow is up 1.2%.
PayPal dropped 5% and Facebook fell 3% in pre-market trading, after warning of significant growth slowdown as they reported quarterly earnings.
Meanwhile, shares of Ford jumped nearly 4% after it raised its 2021 outlook, saying it’s selling more cars that are more expensive, though it missed analysts’ estimates on earnings.
The moves in futures came after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell cautioned that, although the economy is making progress toward its goals, it has a ways to go before the central bank would actually adjust its easy policies.
Amazon, Pinterest and Anheuser-Busch are set to report earnings Thursday. Traders will also watch out for the latest readings on initial jobless claims and pending home sales.
Overseas, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 index improved 0.7%, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index spiked 3.3%,
Oil prices gained 32 cents to $72.71 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices jumped $25.40 to $1,825.10 U.S. a pound.