Today's calendar focuses on retailers, employment data, and corporate earnings.
German factory orders will be the first event early in the morning, followed the monthly same-store sales by select retailers.
Initial jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. ET are expected to come in at 280,000, up from the previous week's surprisingly low 262,000 reading. Natural-gas inventories are due two hours later.
Companies reporting earnings in the pre-market include Apache, Regeneron, Priceline.com, Molson Coors, Melco Crown, Canadian Solar, and Orbitz. CBS, Nvidia, and Nuance Communications are scheduled for after the closing bell.
Chinese trade numbers follow late in the evening, which could affect sentiment overnight and into tomorrow.
Friday's big event will be non-farm payrolls. NRG Energy, JD.com, Horizon Pharma, and WhiteWave Foods announce results as well.
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