From “Dow Jones & Company”:

Stock index futures were mixed early Thursday, with S&P 500 futures rising 2 points, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell 50 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 41 points. The stock market uptick is in response to hopes for a potential interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve next year after a sharp decline in benchmark borrowing costs. Strong auctions of U.S. government 2-year and 5-year bonds and pending home sales and economic updates are set for release on Thursday. Some analysts caution optimism about the speed of Fed easing, but others consider the possibility of corporate earnings growth buoying investor confidence.



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