U.S. stock futures rose further on Thursday, looking upbeat ahead of a second day of close testimony from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Techs once again led the way with Nasdaq 100 (^NDX) futures up 0.4% and S&P 500 (^GSPC) futures up 0.2%. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) swung along a flat line after all three gauges closed in the green.
Stocks rose as the market said Powell's first day of questioning by lawmakers on economic and monetary policy did not bring bad news or surprises. The Fed chief stuck to reiterating the message from policymakers that there is no need to rush into easing, but said a rate cut was likely before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, gold (GC=F) rose for the fifth straight day, hitting a new high above $2,160 as the prospect of a rate cut gives fresh impetus to a record rally.
Mr. Powell's appearance on the Senate floor is next, with investors watching closely for more transparency and further clues about the timing of rate cuts. The calculations will also factor in upcoming updates on consumer credit and unemployment claims ahead of Friday's important monthly jobs report.
On the corporate front, shares of Victoria's Secret (VSCO) plunged more than 29% in pre-market trading after the lingerie maker missed sales estimates.
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