Wall Street's strong start to the week ends with stock futures lower.

BY THE NUMBERS

Treasury yields decreased as investors processed the Federal Reserve's rate hike.

Since Wednesday's impressive rally, the major U.S. stock indexes are on track for their best weekly performance of the year. The Dow has experienced a three-day winning streak for the first time since early February. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite have both had two consecutive positive days this month.

On Thursday, oil prices rose around 4.5% to trade above $99 per barrel, while international benchmark Brent crude advanced roughly 4.85% to nearly $103 per barrel, bucking a recent downward trend related to renewed supply concerns related to the Russia-Ukraine war. (Reuters)

The number of initial jobless claims decreased to 214,000 for the week ended March 12, lower than the estimated 220,000 by the Dow Jones, indicating that the U.S. labor market is becoming increasingly tight. (Source: CNBC)

The February housing starts were better than anticipated, increasing by 6.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.77 million units, according to the Census Bureau. Despite predictions of a 3.8% rise to an annual rate of 1.7 million units, the March Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index surged to 27.4, exceeding expectations of 15.

The expected rise in February industrial production figures is forecasted to be 0.5%, following the 1.4% increase seen in January.

This morning, Accenture (ACN), Dollar General (DG), Signet Jewelers (SIG), Designer Brands (DBI), and Warby Parker (WRBY) released their quarterly reports. Meanwhile, FedEx (FDX) and GameStop (GME) will report after Thursday's closing bell. Warby Parker's shares sank as the eyewear retailer reported continued losses and offered a weak outlook.

IN THE NEWS

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point on Wednesday, its first hike since December 2018, as it seeks to curb historically high inflation. The Fed's policymaking arm signaled that it anticipates additional rate increases at its six remaining meetings in 2022, indicating a consensus funds rate of 1.9% by year-end. However, this aggressive rate-hiking plan could have negative consequences for the economy as it battles inflation. (CNBC)

Biden labeled Putin a "war criminal" for Russia's attack on Ukraine, marking the first time he has publicly used that term. The Kremlin responded by calling Biden's language "unacceptable and unforgivable," as reported by Tass. (CNBC)

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been ongoing for four weeks. On Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the two sides were not close to reaching an agreement to end the fighting, despite some positive commentary surrounding peace talks in recent days. Peskov said, "Work continues - when there is progress, we will inform." Meanwhile, the U.S. has issued a clear warning to China not to provide aid to Russia in the ongoing conflict. It remains to be seen whether Beijing will heed this warning. (NBC News)

On Thursday, the Russian Ministry of Finance announced that it had made a payment of approximately $117 million in interest on two dollar-denominated eurobonds, as Moscow strives to prevent its first foreign currency debt default in over a century. (CNN)

TGT is taking another step toward reducing its carbon footprint by installing carport canopies with solar panels in a parking lot at one of its stores in Vista, California. The energy generated powers the store, making it the first net-zero energy store for the Minnesota-based retail chain. This move could serve as a model for other locations across the U.S. In recent years, some corporations have been making an effort to be more sustainable. Meanwhile, a Google-backed start-up has launched a free carbon emissions tracker to help individuals and businesses monitor their carbon footprint.

S&P predicts that Russia's invasion of Ukraine will result in a decrease of millions of car units produced over two years.

STOCKS TO WATCH

Lennar (LEN) reported quarterly earnings of $1.69 per share for its fiscal first quarter, falling short of the $2.60 consensus estimate. Despite revenue beating analyst forecasts due to strong demand and higher prices, the company's bottom line was negatively impacted by higher costs for materials and labor.

Despite a slight revenue miss, Williams-Sonoma (WSM) exceeded analyst expectations with an adjusted $5.42 per share earnings for its latest quarter. The company attributed its success to effective supply chain management and overcoming material and labor shortages.

PagerDuty (PD) fell short of analysts' expectations by 2 cents per share in its latest quarter, but its digital operations platform provider's revenue exceeded Street forecasts. Additionally, PagerDuty issued an optimistic revenue forecast.

Nordstrom (JWN) will resume paying quarterly dividends, two years after they were halted by the department store operator. The resumed dividend will be 19 cents per share, payable on April 13 to shareholders of record as of March 28.

Berkshire Hathaway (BRKb) increased its stake in Occidental Petroleum (OXY) by purchasing 18.1 million more shares, according to an SEC filing. This brings Berkshire's holdings in the energy producer to 136.4 million shares, or approximately 14.6%.

The content management software provider is projecting an annual revenue growth of up to 17% by 2025, as previously stated earlier this month.

Although Guess (GES) reported adjusted quarterly earnings of $1.14 per share, one cent below estimates, and its revenue fell short of Street forecasts, profit margins were better than anticipated, and the stock gained in premarket trading.