Traders will be watching durable goods orders and jobless claims Thursday, while they continue to seek clarity on the Fed's rate hiking plans.
St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard speaks ahead of the market open, at 8:15 a.m., ET, to the New York Association for Business Economics on the economy and policy. Bullard's remarks in an interview Wednesday were the latest from a Fed official to suggest that the Fed could raise rates as early as April.
To traders, the comments from Bullard and several other Fed officials, such as Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker, contrast with the dovish message sent after the Fed's last meeting. Last week, the Fed took no action on rates and slightly downgraded its view on the economy. The forecasts of Fed officials also showed that most members now favored two rate hikes this year, versus an earlier forecast of four hikes.
