European Shares Poised For Soft Start

(RTTNews) - European stocks may open a tad lower on Thursday as global markets remain in risk-off mode amid mounting unease over the U.S. and Chinese economic outlook.

After Wednesday's weak labor market data, U.S. reports on jobless claims, private sector employment and service sector activity may shed further light on the health of the world's largest economy today.

Investors also eagerly await the release of more closely watched monthly jobs report on Friday that could influence the Fed's plans for how it trims its benchmark interest rates.

Traders currently expect that the U.S. central bank will cut its benchmark rate by 1 percent by the end of 2024.

Closer home, factory orders data and construction Purchasing Managers' survey results from Germany along with retail sales figures from Eurozone are awaited later in the day.

Asian markets traded mixed, with Japan's Nikkei falling 1.5 percent as the yen strengthened on data showing that Japanese wages adjusted for inflation rose 0.4 percent from a year earlier in July - marking the second consecutive month of increase after falling for more than two years.

"I believe it is necessary to shift gears again -- to further adjust the degree of monetary accommodation -- and make, so to speak, a world with interest rates," BOJ policy board member Hajime Takata said in a speech to business leaders in Ishikawa Prefecture today.

Treasuries were steady in Asian trading after the 10-year yield dropped eight basis points in the previous session.

The dollar wobbled and gold was little changed as markets bolstered bets on steep rate cuts by the Federal Reserve following the U.S. job openings data.

Oil steadied near the lowest close since June 2023 after industry data pointed to a big draw in U.S. crude stockpiles.

U.S. stocks ended narrowly mixed overnight as technology stocks continued to fall amid anxiety about the economic outlook.

In economic releases, the latest job openings and labor turnover summary report signaled cooling hiring in July. The Fed's Beige Book showed flat or declining economic activity across most regions in recent weeks.

The Dow inched up marginally, while the S&P 500 slid 0.2 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite eased 0.3 percent.

European stocks hit a two-week low on Wednesday, with technology stocks leading declines.

The pan European STOXX 600 dropped 1 percent. The German DAX dipped 0.8 percent, France's CAC 40 lost 1 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 gave up 0.4 percent.