US futures rise ahead of jobless claims and Fed speeches, while oil extends rally as outlook brightens

US futures rise ahead of jobless claims and Fed speeches, while oil extends rally as outlook brightens

US stock index futures climbed on Thursday as investors awaited the release of weekly jobless claims data and prepared to digest a series of speeches from officials. Meanwhile, oil prices extended their rally as the outlook for the global economy brightened, with vaccine rollouts spurring expectations of strong demand for energy in the coming months. Oil is on course for a third straight monthly gain in June. In Europe, stocks rose ahead of the Bank of England's interest rate decision. It is expected to leave monetary policy on hold but investors will scrutinize the decision for signs of concerns about inflation, which the Bank's 2% target in May. Futures for the US benchmark rose 0.41%, after the index slipped slightly on Wednesday. climbed 0.4% while futures gained 0.54%. Europe's rose 0.59% in early European trading, while London's was 0.2% higher. China's climbed 0.17% overnight while Japan's was flat. Investors awaited US jobless claims data on Thursday, after a quiet week on the economics front. Economists expect weekly initial jobless claims to drop below 400,000, after a the previous week. John Williams, the President of the New York Fed, and Raphael Bostic, Atlanta Fed President, are among the key central bank