CNBC.com
Stock index futures pointed to a higher open for Wall Street on Thursday, with all eyes on Europe once again and investors relatively upbeat following news that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi would step down, paving the way for Italy to push through economic reforms.
Stocks in Europe reversed earlier losses in morning trade, but Asian markets closed down.
Berlusconi’s party is discussing the option of supporting a unity government led by former European commissioner Mario Monti as well as early elections, a senior party official told Reuters on Thursday.
A fairly positive Italian bond auction also boosted investors’ confidence.
Later on Thursday, the Bank of England is set to keep interest rates at record lows and leave its asset buying plan unchanged.
NewsCorp’s James Murdoch appears before a UK parliamentary committee once again to answer further questions about the phone hacking scandal which led to the closure of UK newspaper News of the World.
Back in the United States, weekly jobless claims are out at 8.30 am New York time, along with trade balance data for September.
The University of Michigan consumer sentiment indicator is out at 9.55 am.
Cisco is among stocks in focus after reporting forecast-beating earnings after the close on Wednesday.
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