Reuters

Oil futures steadied on Thursday as the market awaited confirmation of industry data that showed a surprise increase in U.S. crude stocks, which offset hopes for a demand recovery as coronavirus lockdowns ease.

This year will be the worst for many world stock markets in nearly a decade at least, although a majority of equity strategists polled by Reuters say top indexes will not revisit lows struck this March following an explosive rally since then.

British department store group Debenhams has cut "hundreds" of head office jobs as it slims down its administrative functions to support a smaller business in the future, two people with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.

The S&P 500 looked set for a subdued open on Thursday as investors paused for breath after three days of gains and weighed signs of an economic recovery against underlying tensions between the United States and China.

Nissan Motor Co outlined a new plan on Thursday to become a smaller, more cost-efficient carmaker after the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated a slide in profitability that culminated in its first annual loss in 11 years.

Oil futures fell on Thursday after a surprise increase in U.S. crude stocks offset hopes of demand recovery as coronavirus lockdowns are eased.

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits held above 2 million last week for a 10th straight week amid job cuts by U.S. state and local governments whose budgets have been decimated fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and more second-wave layoffs in the private sector.

The top two U.S. dollar store chains reported better-than-expected quarterly sales and profit on Thursday, benefiting from a surge in demand for affordable groceries and household essentials amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nissan Motor Co's cash situation is "tough" as the coronavirus has sapped car sales, and the automaker must be vigilant in the coming months as a second wave of infections may add to liquidity issues, CEO Makoto Uchida told Reuters on Thursday.

Dollar General Corp reported its biggest rise in quarterly sales in at least 14 years on Thursday, benefiting from a surge in demand from customers stocking up on groceries and household essentials amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

European shares rose for a fourth straight session on Thursday and the euro perched at a two-month high, as businesses returning to work and a 750 billion euro EU stimulus plan outweighed rising U.S.-China tensions.

Sonic Automotive Inc , which operates 95 U.S. car dealerships, started laying off and furloughing about a third of its workforce as the coronavirus pandemic crushed its sales. Then it changed its executives' pay packages - handing them a multimillion-dollar windfall.

Dollar Tree Inc reported a surge in quarterly same-store sales on Thursday, joining rival Dollar General , as the discount retailer benefited from consumers stockpiling on groceries and other essentials due to the coronavirus crisis.

Dollar General Corp said on Thursday it expects to exceed its annual sales and profit forecasts after the retailer saw a surge in demand from customers stocking up on groceries and household essentials amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Futures contracts for the S&P 500 were largely flat on Thursday as investors weighed hopes of an economic recovery against underlying tensions between the United States and China.

High borrowing costs will limit participation in a $500 billion U.S. Federal Reserve short-term borrowing program set up to address state and city revenue shortfalls due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, analysts said.

Britain's easyJet plans to cut up to 4,500 jobs and shrink its fleet to adjust to the smaller travel market which is forecast to emerge from the coronavirus crisis.

Nissan Motor Co intends to close its Barcelona main plant and two nearby facilities starting from December 2020, but it will keep open two facilities in northern Spain, the chairman of Nissan in Europe, Gianluca De Ficchy, said on Thursday.

U.S. President Donald Trump is once again beating predecessor Barack Obama in stock market performance following a stunning recovery on Wall Street.

General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co are using fast-payment programs set up with financial lenders to help cash-strapped small suppliers survive production shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic.