UKX FTSE 100 Index

U.S. stock futures ticked higher ahead of fresh jobless figures and gross-domestic-product data.

S&P 500 futures were up 0.3% and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures strengthened 0.3%. Nasdaq-100 futures added 0.5%. Changes in equity futures don't necessarily predict moves after the opening bell.

In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 shed 0.3% in morning trade. The consumer-staples and consumer-discretionary sectors led the losses while the information-technology sector rose.

Compass Group added 2.2% for a two-day run of gains.

British American Tobacco declined 2.1% for a two-session losing streak and Carnival slipped 3.2%.

The U.K.'s FTSE 100 fell 0.3%. Other stock indexes in Europe also mostly fell as France's CAC 40 lost 0.4%, the U.K.'s FTSE 250 was down 0.2% and Germany's DAX was lower 0.3%.

The Swiss franc, the euro and the British pound were down 0.2%, 0.2% and 0.1% respectively against the U.S. dollar.

In commodities, international benchmark Brent crude slipped 1.2% to $63.45 a barrel. Gold also slipped 0.1% to $1,731.30 a troy ounce.

German 10-year bund yields declined to minus 0.362% and the yield on U.K. 10-year gilts was down to 0.743%. The yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury gained to 1.630% from 1.613% on Wednesday. Yields move in the opposite direction from prices.

Stocks in Asia were mixed as Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 0.1% after falling as much as 1.4% during the session and Japan's Nikkei 225 index gained 1.1%, whereas China's benchmark Shanghai Composite was down 0.1%.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 25, 2021 04:58 ET (08:58 GMT)

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