07:28 AM EDT, 09/04/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The main US stock measures were trending higher in Thursday's premarket activity as a key jobs report pointed to a softening labor market, boosting expectations that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates later this month.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2% and the Nasdaq added 0.3% before the opening bell, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was slightly in the green. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq finished Wednesday higher, while the Dow closed lower for the third consecutive trading session.

Job openings declined in July for the second month in a row, government data showed Wednesday. Vacancies dropped to 7.18 million as of the last day of July from 7.36 million the month before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' job openings and labor turnover survey. That's the lowest level since September 2024, CNBC and Reuters reported.

"The July JOLTS report showed further signs of softening labor market conditions," Oxford Economics said Wednesday.

The BLS is expected to report on Friday that the US economy added 75,000 nonfarm jobs last month, compared with a 73,000 gain reported for July, according to a Bloomberg-compiled survey. The Challenger Job-Cut report for August posts at 7:30 am ET, followed by the ADP Employment report for the same month at 8:15 am and the weekly jobless claims bulletin at 8:30 am.

The probability that the Federal Open Market Committee will cut interest rates by 25 basis points at the Sept. 16-17 meeting was 98% on Thursday, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

US economic activity and employment levels were little changed since July, while firms in most Fed districts expected price increases to continue in the coming months, the central bank said in its latest Beige Book released Wednesday.

US Treasury yields were down before the open, with the two-year rate retreating 1.4 basis points to 3.6% and the 10-year rate decreasing 1.9 basis points to 4.19%.

President Donald Trump reportedly filed an appeal with the Supreme Court on Wednesday to uphold his reciprocal tariffs, after the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled last week that most of them are illegal.

Thursday's economic calendar also has the international trade in goods and services report for July, the purchasing managers' index composite final report from S&P Global (SPGI) and the Institute for Supply Management's services index, both for August.

New York Fed President John Williams is scheduled to speak at 12:05 pm, while Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee speaks at 7 pm.

Shares of Salesforce ( CRM ) dropped 6.8% pre-bell even though the customer relationship management platform reported stronger-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results. American Eagle Outfitters ( AEO ) soared 25% as the clothing retailer recorded an unexpected year-over-year increase in its fiscal second-quarter earnings. Hewlett Packard Enterprise ( HPE ) inclined 3% following its quarterly results.

Ciena (CIEN), Toro (TTC), Science Applications International ( SAIC ) and Brady (BRC) report their latest financial results before the bell, among others. Broadcom ( AVGO ) , Copart ( CPRT ) , Lululemon Athletica ( LULU ) and DocuSign ( DOCU ) post earnings after the markets close.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 1.5% to $62.99 a barrel before the opening bell. The weekly EIA domestic petroleum inventories report is out at 12 pm.

Gold declined almost 1% to $3,601 per troy ounce, while bitcoin traded down 1% at $110,941.