US pre-open: Futures trade higher following heavy sell-off

Wall Street futures were in the green ahead of the bell on Thursday after major indices registered some heavy losses in the previous session.

As of 1235 GMT, Dow Jones futures were up 0.30%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures had the indices opening 0.40% and 0.47% firmer, respectively.

The Dow closed 448.96 points lower on Wednesday, more than erasing the gains it recorded a day earlier.

Market participants were continuing to monitor events in Eastern Europe ahead of the bell on Thursday, with NATO leaders meeting in Brussels to discuss increasing pressure on Moscow as Ukraine appeared to be retaking ground in the war with its neighbour.

On the macro front, initial jobless claims decreased to 187,000 in the week ended 19 March, down from 215,000 in the previous week to its lowest level since 1969, according to the Labor Department.

Elsewhere, durable goods orders decreased 2.20% month-on-month in February, according to the Census Bureau.

Still to come, a flash reading of IHS Markit's March manufacturing PMI will be published at 1345 GMT.

In the corporate space, Spotify futures were trading higher after the music streaming platform struck a deal with Google that will allow it to offer its own billing on Android devices, while Olive Garden parent company Darden Restaurants saw shares its slip in pre-market after posting softer-than-expected earnings before the open.