Wall Street is poised to end the month on a positive note, despite a weak quarter.

BY THE NUMBERS

U.S. stock futures remained unchanged on Thursday as bond yields and oil prices decreased. OPEC+ oil producers decided to maintain a moderate increase in crude oil output after their meeting, despite reports that the U.S. was considering releasing reserves. Meanwhile, all three major stock benchmarks experienced a winning streak of four sessions, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite dropping for the first time in three days. As March comes to a close, all three benchmarks have shown solid gains for the month. However, Wall Street is preparing for a challenging first quarter of 2022.

Although Treasury yields decreased on Thursday, key spreads such as the 5-year and 10-year yields remained tight. The 5-year Treasury yield had previously inverted earlier this week, surpassing the 30-year yield, which is a common market distortion before economic recessions. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield fell to 2.3%, retreating from its recent three-year highs. (Source: CNBC)

The core personal consumption expenditures price index, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, increased by 5.4% on a year-over-year basis in February, slightly below expectations but higher than the previous month's largest increase since 1983. Despite this, markets anticipate the central bank to become more aggressive with interest rate hikes to combat inflation. (CNBC) On the eve of the March employment report, the government announced on Thursday morning that initial jobless claims for the week ending March 26 rose to 202,000. The prior week's reading was revised slightly higher to 188,000, still close to a 52-year low. (CNBC)

On Friday, the Dow stock (AAPL) rose in the premarket after its 11-session winning streak of 18% ended the previous day. Meanwhile, (WBA), another Dow component, fell 1% in Thursday's premarket following the release of better-than-expected earnings and revenue. The decline was partly due to increased demand for Covid booster shots and tests resulting from the spread of the omicron variant during the winter months. (CNBC)

IN THE NEWS TODAY

The U.S. oil benchmark fell 6% to around $101 per barrel Thursday, despite OPEC+ agreeing to raise output targets by 432,000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is set to give remarks Thursday and is expected to announce plans to release 1 million barrels of oil per day from America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve for several months to ease surging oil and gas prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that his country's defense against Russia's invasion was at a "turning point," and he again requested assistance from the U.S. Cease-fire talks, which took place in person this week and sparked hope, are set to resume via video on Friday. Russia has been downplaying signs of progress and appears to have gone back on its promise to reduce some operations. (AP) Newly declassified U.S. intelligence indicates that Russian President Vladimir Putin feels he was misled by military leaders who did not provide him with key details about the botched invasion of Ukraine because they were afraid of angering him, top Biden administration officials said Wednesday. (CNBC) Russian troops are holding onto positions near Kyiv, and Putin has "massively misjudged" the war, according to CNBC live blog. Russian troops are sabotaging their own equipment and refusing orders in Ukraine, the UK has stated. (CNBC)

If Congress does not approve the $22.5 billion in additional funding requested by the Biden administration, the United States may not have enough Covid vaccine doses this fall to ensure easy and free access for all Americans. (AP) The Biden administration is expected to end the asylum limits at the U.S.-Mexico border, which were put in place to prevent the spread of Covid, by May 23. However, the decision is not yet final. (AP) The Biden administration has announced new actions to mark Transgender Day of Visibility, including the addition of a new "X" gender marker on U.S. passport applications. (AP)

JPMorgan Chase has been granted a renewal of its agreement to issue Amazon's flagship rewards credit card, following months of intense negotiations, according to CNBC's sources. Meanwhile, Amazon has enlisted the help of a consulting and polling firm with links to Democratic political groups to counter a unionization drive at its Staten Island, New York, warehouse, CNBC has learned.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store union announced that more than 2,300 ballots were cast in a closely watched union election at one of Amazon's Alabama warehouses. Meanwhile, Kohl's has called on its shareholders to reject activist Macellum's proposal.

Another sign that digital assets continue to gain popularity among Americans, despite warnings from lawmakers about market risks and efforts to regulate the industry, is that one in five Americans has invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency, according to a new NBC News poll. Meanwhile, a CNBC survey found that more Chinese people prefer to save their money rather than spend it.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday that Will Smith was asked to leave the 94th annual Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday after slapping presenter Chris Rock, but refused.

Bruce Willis, the actor, is retiring from his career after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that impairs communication, according to the Mayo Clinic. This condition can affect an individual's ability to speak, write, and comprehend language, both spoken and written. (NBC News)

STOCKS TO WATCH

The SEC added BIDU and IQ to its list of U.S.-traded China stocks that could be delisted if they don't allow American regulators to review three years' worth of financial audits. BIDU lost 2.2% in premarket trading, while IQ's shares slid 6.6%.

The EU regulators' clearance of NVAX's Covid vaccine for teenagers resulted in a 1.3% increase in premarket trading for the company.

According to sources, Fortiana Holdings, a Russia-backed investment firm, is in discussions with (KGC) to purchase a Russian mine. This would mark the first time a Western company has sold an asset in Russia.

The FDA panel rejected recommending approval of an experimental ALS drug from AMLX, stating that study data did not demonstrate its effectiveness in treating the disease. Despite this, Amylyx shares rose by 2.5% after erasing early premarket losses.

In a Massachusetts case, a judge ruled in favor of (HOOD), determining that the state had exceeded its authority in implementing a new fiduciary standard for brokerages operating in the state. The accusation against the brokerage firm was that it had encouraged its customers to take unnecessary risks. Following a 8.5% decline in share price on Wednesday, Robinhood's shares rose modestly in the premarket.

The online expense management company's premarket tumbled 14.3% after reporting a lower-than-expected quarterly profit and issuing a weaker-than-expected revenue forecast for the current quarter.

WATERCOOLER

The US men's soccer team qualified for the World Cup in Qatar, despite losing 2-0 to Costa Rica on the final night of qualifying.