(Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were higher on Thursday ahead of weekly jobless numbers, after the market closed little changed on Wednesday on weak April retail sales data.
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits is expected to rise to 275,000 from 265,000 last week. The data will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET.
The dollar index <.DXY>, which has been on a tear, fell to a 5-month low.
April retail sales data remained unchanged from the prior month as consumers cut back on spending on big ticket items like cars.
The 10-year Treasury yield eased back from Wednesday's five-month closing high of 2.28 percent, but analysts say the momentum in yields remains upwards.
Dow component Cisco fell 1.2 percent to $29 after the company beat estimates but said spending by telecom customers was not going to improve in the near future.
Kohl's shares fell 6 percent to $70 after the department store operator reported lower-than-expected quarterly same-store sales, hurt by colder-than-usual weather in February.
Puma Biotechnology shares tanked 22.75 percent to $162 in premarket trading after details from a late-stage trial of its experimental breast cancer pill showed that it improved disease-free survival for certain patients only by 2.3 months.
Shake Shack rose 9.3 percent to $74.78 after the hamburger chain raised its full-year revenue forecast.
Futures snapshot at 7:25 a.m. ET:
S&P 500 e-minis were up 8.25 points, or 0.39 percent, with 112,006 contracts traded.
Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 21.5 points, or 0.49 percent, on volume of 21,543 contracts.
Dow e-minis <1YMc1> were up 71 points, or 0.39 percent, with 20,640 contracts changing hands.
