09:25 AM EST, 11/14/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US stocks were treading water ahead of the opening bell Thursday as investors parse initial jobless claims figures and the latest producer price index reading.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 0.2%, S&P 500 futures were off 0.05%, and Nasdaq futures were edging 0.1% lower.

Oil prices were moving higher, with front-month global benchmarks North Sea Brent crude up 1.1% and US West Texas Intermediate crude rising 1.1%.

Initial jobless claims, which track how many people filed for unemployment insurance for the first time during the past week, fell to 217,000 from 221,000 the previous week and below the 224,000 expected by forecasters, according to Bloomberg.

The producer price index, which gauges the change in input prices of raw, semi-finished, or finished goods and services, rose to 0.2% in October from 0.1% in September, and matching analyst forecasts, according to Bloomberg.

And coming out later in the morning are the Energy Information Administration's crude oil Inventories, which tracks the weekly change in the number of barrels of commercial crude oil held by US firms. Inventories are expected to fall to 1 million from 2.215 million the previous month, according to Bloomberg.

In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei was off 0.5%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng tumbled nearly 2%, and China's Shanghai Composite fell 1.7%. Meanwhile in Europe's early afternoon session, the UK's FTSE 100 was rising 0.1%, while Germany's DAX 30 was climbing 1.5%, France's CAC 40 was climbing 1.3%, and Spain's IBEX 35 was climbing nearly 1%.

In equities, shares of BTC Digital ( BTCT ) jumped 43%, piling on to a 68% gain the previous session. Quantum Computing's ( QUBT ) stock surged 31%, after soaring 93% in Wednesday's trading session. Shares of Gaxos.ai ( GXAI ) advanced 55% after the company's board of directors approved Thursday the purchase of up to $1 million in Bitcoin. BTCS Inc.'s ( BTCS ) stock was up 26% after it reported Wednesday higher Q3 revenue from a year earlier. And shares of Bowman Consulting Group ( BWMN ) climbed nearly 10% following a 2% loss on Wednesday.

On the losing side, shares of Nuvectis Pharma ( NVCT ) plunged 54% after it reported data Thursday from its phase 1b trial to evaluate NXP800 in participants. Digital Brands Group ( DBGI ) shares fell 28%, eating into a 41% gain the previous session. First United Corporation (FUNC) dropped 21% after marginal loss on Wednesday. Calidi Biotherapeutics ( CLDI ) tumbled 20% after surging 60% on Wednesday. And shares of Harrow (HROW) were down 18% after it reported overnight lower-than-expected Q3 total revenue.