GameStop, Delta, BlackRock: What to Watch When the Stock Market Opens

Here’s what we’re watching ahead of Thursday’s opening bell.

—S&P 500 futures gained 0.1%, potentially extending Wednesday’s advance, which lifted the index to its second-highest level in history. Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.3%. Read our full market wrap here.

—Weekly new jobless claims showed another big rise, exceeding forecasts amid accelerating Covid-19 cases and restrictions on business. New claims were 965,000 in the week of Jan. 9, much higher than the 800,000 forecast and ahead of last week’s 784,000, which was revised down slightly.

What’s Coming Up

—President-elect Joe Biden is due to give a speech outlining the scale of his proposed spending package to support households and businesses through the pandemic.

— Progress Software will deliver its latest quarterly results after the close.