UNITED STATES

Wall Street was set to open higher on Thursday, following two days of declines for the S&P 500, after weekly jobless claims fell, offering hope for the anemic labor market recovery.

A string of Europe's largest firms issued surprisingly upbeat profit reports on Thursday, bolstering an abrupt renewal of investor confidence in the region after months of debt turmoil and fears for the euro.

The euro hit an 11-week high against a broadly weak dollar on Thursday as month-end demand for the single currency helped push it above a key barrier. The euro remained supported by firm euro zone data, with figures on Thursday showing euro zone economic sentiment jumping to a 28-month high, while German unemployment declined for the 13th consecutive month.

Oil was steady at around $77 on Thursday after falling the previous day on weak durable goods data and the biggest weekly increase in crude inventories for nearly two years in the United States. U.S. crude stocks surged 7.31 million barrels last week as imports jumped, government statistics showed on Wednesday, while the nation's gasoline and distillate stocks including diesel gained for the fifth and ninth consecutive weeks respectively.

Gold firmed in Europe on Thursday as some buyers were tempted back to the market by the precious metal's fall to three-month lows, while the weaker dollar also helped support prices. European investment remained lackluster as risk appetite sharpened, however, while the world's largest gold-backed exchange traded fund reported a hefty outflow on Wednesday.

New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits fell slightly more than expected last week, government data showed on Thursday, offering a ray of hope for the anemic labor market recovery.

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Motorola Inc posted quarterly earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street expectations driven by products such as mobile network equipment, sending its shares up 1 percent.

Stock index futures rose on Thursday following two days of declines for the S&P 500 after upbeat European economic data and ahead of an expected drop in U.S. jobless claims.

Wall Street futures pointed to a firmer start for equities, after gains in Europe. The Dow closed lower in the previous session on weak durable goods data and a downbeat assessment of the economy from the Fed's Beige Book.

Wall St futures pointed to a firmer start for equities, after gains in Europe. The Dow closed lower in the previous session on weak durable goods data and a downbeat assessment of the economy from the Fed's Beige Book.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc said second-quarter current cost of supply net income jumped 94 percent to $4.53 billion thanks to a strong operating environment and a speedy restructuring of the group.

AstraZeneca doubled its 2010 share buyback program on Thursday, after posting strong results and winning an endorsement from a U.S. advisory panel for its potential blockbuster heart drug Brilinta.

Nissan Motor Co and Hyundai Motor Co's forecast-beating quarterly profits may prove tough to match in the second half as robust sales in China and elsewhere start to slow.

Hyundai Motor Co , South Korea's top automaker, warned global car demand will likely ease in the second half due to a slowdown in key markets such as China, Europe and the United States, sending its shares lower.

Robust quarterly earnings from Europe drove world stocks higher on Thursday, while the dollar hit a three-month low on the back of weak U.S. data and a downbeat assessment of the economy from the Federal Reserve.

Hyundai Motor Co , South Korea's top automaker, said its quarterly net profit rose 71 percent to a record high, beating estimates on healthy demand in the United States and China.

Hyundai Motor Co , South Korea's top automaker, said on Thursday its quarterly net profit rose 71 percent to a record high, beating estimates on healthy demand in the United States and China.

Hyundai Motor Co , South Korea's top automaker, said its quarterly net profit rose 71 percent to a record high, beating estimates on healthy demand in the United States and China.

Asian stocks edged back up toward a three-month high and the dollar eased toward three-month lows on Thursday, hit by soft U.S. data that highlighted the patchy nature of the U.S. economic recovery.