Here are 4 tips for today's trading. This will help you decide where you should invest and what to look for:
1. Global market overview
1. Global market overview
U.S. stock futures are slipping lower, and international markets are muddling along, with no clear catalyst to set direction.
Oil and gold prices are steady, with oil trading around $38 per barrel.
In the currency market, the British pound continues to dip as traders remain concerned about uncertainty related to the upcoming EU referendum in June. The pound has fallen this year versus every major currency in the world.
2. Companies to watch
2. Companies to watch
Yahoo, Tesla: Yahoo (YHOO, Tech30) may face extra scrutiny Thursday following a Re/code report saying company documents show the tech giant has been in "a serious free fall."
Yahoo's revenue is expected to drop 15% and earnings could decline more than 20%, according to the report.
Tesla (TSLA) is also in the spotlight as CEO Elon Musk promised to reveal the latest order figures for the company's new Model 3 electric car. Orders for the sedan have far exceeded expectations.
3. Gold jumps more than 1%
3. Gold jumps more than 1%
Gold futures rallied on Thursday, as minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting showed many participants wanted to move cautiously on rate hikes.
Prices of the precious metal jumped $16.00, or 1.3%, to trade at $1,239.80 a troy ounce during morning hours in New York.
A gradual path to higher rates is seen as less of a threat to gold prices than a swift series of increases.
4. ECB publishes minutes, Draghi due to speak
4. ECB publishes minutes, Draghi due to speak
Investors will be looking forward to the minutes from the European Central Bank’s March 10 policy meeting, due at 11:30GMT, or 7:30AM ET. ECB President Mario Draghi rolled out fresh stimulus measures at the conclusion of the March meeting, including increased asset buying and a deeper cut to deposit rates, but signaled there would be no further rate cuts.
Investors will also get employment data to digest this morning at 8:30 a.m. ET when the Department of Labor releases its weekly jobless claims report.
