US pre-open: Stocks seen mixed as investors digest stress test results
US futures pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street on Thursday, with the Nasdaq set to open lower as investors mull over stress test results.
At 1210 BST, Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 futures were up 0.1%, but futures on the tech-heavy Nasdaq were down 0.3%.
Late on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve released the results of the second round of its stress tests, which showed that all 34 banks had passed. The Fed said the banks' capital plans, which include share buybacks and dividend increases, would not affect their ability to operate in a crisis.
Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell said: "I'm pleased that the... process has motivated all of the largest banks to achieve healthy capital levels and most to substantially improve their capital planning processes."
US bank shares rose in after-hours trading, with Neil Wilson, senior market analyst at ETX Capital, pointing out that the institutions can now significantly raise shareholder returns. "The Fed has effectively green-lighted up to $100bn in dividends and buybacks," he said.
"Banks are also profiting from a shift in central bank language that suggests the decade-long pursuit of easy money policies could be ending. Whilst there has been some degree of confusion stemming from nuanced comments from Mario Draghi and Mark Carney, there does appear to be a shift. The Fed may soon be joined by other central banks as stimulus is dialled back."
Citigroup shares were up 2.8% in pre-market trade, while Goldman Sachs added 1.3% and Bank of America rallied 2.9%.
Elsewhere, shares in Blue Apron Holdings will start trading after the initial public offering at $10 a share late on Wednesday.
Walgreens Boots Alliance rose in pre-market trade after it agreed to buy some Rite Aid stores, while Fred's tumbled after its deal to buy Rite Aid stores was terminated.
Constellation Brands was due to release earnings before the opening bell.
On the macroeconomic calendar, initial jobless claims are at 1330 BST, along with the final release of first-quarter gross domestic product.