By Msnbc.com staff and wire
Wall Street stocks may open higher Thursday amid hopes that the possible collapse of the Greek government could scuttle that country's plan for a referendum on a European bailout plan.
Stock index futures pointed to a?higher opening for equities,?which were also given a bit of a boost by news that jobless claims dropped to the lowest in five weeks and productivity rose in the third quarter.
In Athens, several ministers and governing party lawmakers called for Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou to step down in favor of a coalition national unity government that would approve Greece's bailout package without a referendum, and ensure the country receives vital funds to prevent imminent bankruptcy. Papandreou was meeting with his ministers in an emergency meeting Thursday. The BBC reported that Papandreou was expected to offer his resignation, although other news reports said he has not resigned.
The threat of a Greek exit from the euro zone hung over a meeting of G20 leaders on Thursday after France and Germany said Athens must decide urgently whether it wants to stay in the 12-year-old currency bloc.
Mario Draghi is expected to play safe at his first policy meeting as European Central Bank president on Thursday, seeking to project calm rather than being panicked into ramping up the bank's response to the escalating euro zone crisis.
U.S. online retailer Amazon.com said Kindle owners with an Amazon Prime membership will now get access to the company's new digital book library service.
Eastman Kodak is expected to post a quarterly loss of 44 cents per share, up from a loss of 2 cents per share in the same period last year. Other companies announcing results include Starbucks, American International Group and First Solar.
The Institute for Supply Management releases at 10 a.m.?EDT its October non-manufacturing index. Economists forecast a reading of 53.5 versus 53.0 in September.
The Commerce Dept releases at 10 a.m. EDT September factory orders. Economists in a Reuters survey expect a 0.1 percent fall compared with a 0.2 percent drop in August.
ICSC releases chain store sales for versus a year ago. In September, sales were up 5.5 percent versus a year earlier.
News Corp posted a better than expected quarterly profit because of cable television and Fox broadcast network fees, even as the family-controlled company grapples with questions of who will lead it once Rupert Murdoch steps aside. Its shares were up 2.3 percent after the bell when results were announced.
Shares in Zillow Inc and Qualcomm Inc were up 11 percent and 6.2 percent respectively in late trade on Wednesday following their results, while Whole Foods Market Inc and Dendreon Corp fell 7.3 percent and 11.5 percent respectively.
Groupon Inc is poised to price its initial public offering at $1 to $2 above its current range, responding to stronger than anticipated demand for the biggest U.S. IPO in months, three buyside sources said on Wednesday.
U.S. stocks rebounded from two days of sharp losses on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said it is prepared to do more for the economy if conditions warrant, helping to stanch the panicky reaction to Europe's debt crisis.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 178.08 points, or 1.53 percent, at 11,836.04. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 19.62 points, or 1.61 percent, at 1,237.90. The Nasdaq Composite Index added 33.02 points, or 1.27 percent, at 2,639.98.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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