U.S. stock futures sag ahead of jobless claims
MADRID (MarketWatch) — U.S. stock futures sagged in early trading on Thursday ahead of weekly jobless claims, which are expected to show a slight fall, as investors continue to question whether recent market gains are overdone.Sentiment was weighed by losses in Europe, where downbeat growth leaned on stocks, while even gains from Asia didn’t inspire.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (CBE JH3) fell 11 points to 13,947, while those for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index (GLC:SPH3) fell 1.9 points to 1,515.30.

Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index (CME:NDH3) eased 6 points to 2,764.25.

The only data point on the calendar is due for release at 8:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern time: The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits is expected to have eased, to 360,000 from 366,000 two weeks ago, according to economists polled by MarketWatch. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-stock-fut...beforebell