Futures listless as markets await more policy cues
U.S. stock index futures were muted on Thursday as uncertainty about when the Federal Reserve will start easing financial conditions kept investors on edge as they awaited further policy cues from central bank officials.
Signs of a weakening labor market and a tempering of the Fed's hawkish stance at its last meeting have pulled U.S. Treasury yields down from multi-year highs, helping equities stage a stellar comeback from their October lows.
A majority of traders are betting that the Fed will keep interest rates unchanged this year, with odds of a cut of atleast 25 basis points in May standing at nearly 48%, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool.