Dow Jones Futures Fall On Surprise Drop In Jobless Claims; Walmart Jumps On Earnings

Dow Jones futures fell slightly Thursday morning after the Labor Department’s first-time unemployment claims. The tone in Washington improved toward a possible debt-ceiling deal, helping to buoy investor optimism. Walmart (WMT) rallied after the discount-retail giant reported strong earnings results ahead of the market open. X Initial jobless claims dropped to 242,000, more than the expected fall to 255,000 vs. 264,000 in the previous week, per Econoday estimates. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index for May improved more than expected, with a -10.4 reading compared to the Street’s forecasted -20.0 vs. April’s -31.3 reading. Dow Jones-listed Walmart rose 1.5% Thursday…