Economists are wondering if we are heading into yet another spring slowdown.
The latest reads on the economy will come later this morning.
Here's a preview from Calculated Risk's Bill McBride:
Thursday economic releases:
• At 8:30 AM ET, the initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. The consensus is for claims to increase to 347 thousand from 346 thousand last week. The "sequester" budget cuts might be starting to impact weekly claims.
• At 10:00 AM, the Philly Fed manufacturing survey for April. The consensus is for a reading of minus 3.3, up from 2.0 last month (above zero indicates expansion).
• At 1:00 PM, Speech by Fed Governor Sarah Bloom Raskin, Reflections on Inequality and the Recent Business Cycle, At the 22nd Annual Hyman P. Minsky Conference on the State of the U.S. and World Economies, New York, New York