Wall Street is likely to be a little heavy-handed on Thursday, after the release of lacklustre indicators that keep the future of the US economy unclear.

Half an hour before the opening, futures contracts on the major New York indices are down between 0.2% and 0.4%, a harbinger of an opening in negative territory.

The New York Stock Exchange has been moving without a major trend for the past few days, torn between investors' desire to take some profits as the end of the first half approaches, and the enthusiasm that continues to surround the rise of AI.

While recent statistics suggest that activity is slowing in the US, arguing for further rate cuts, others temper this impression, such as the latest growth figures.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annualized rate of 1.4% in the first quarter, according to a third estimate from the Commerce Department, following a rate of 1.3% in the second reading.

But orders for durable goods rose only slightly in May (+0.1%), marking the fourth consecutive month of slowing statistics.

As for jobless claims, they fell to 233,000 in the week to June 17, down by 6,000 on the previous week, confirming that the labor market is easing.

The highlight of the week will come tomorrow, with the release of the PCE price index, the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, which could offer some visibility on the evolution of monetary policy.

Meanwhile, investors will be watching tonight's first televised debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump on CNN, ahead of November's presidential election.

With less than five months to go to the polls, polls predict a particularly close election (46% of voting intentions for Trump, 45% for Biden), hence the importance of this confrontation.

On the bond market, the yield on 10-year Treasuries gave up some ground, at 4.30%, on the eve of the publication of inflation figures.

The August contract for U.S. light crude (West Texas Intermediate, WTI) began to rebound, gaining 1.2% to $81.9 a barrel, an almost one-week high.

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