By Barbara Kollmeyer, MarketWatch , Ryan Vlastelica

Dow looking to snap five-day losing streak

U.S. stock-index futures were slightly higher on Thursday, though trading was cautious as investors looked ahead to speeches from key Federal Reserve members, including Chairwoman Janet Yellen, as well as an important vote on a health-care bill that could provide clarity on President Donald Trump's ability to pass his ambitious legislative agenda.

Dow Jones Industrial Average index futures rose 14 points, or less than 0.1%, to 20,609, while S&P 500 index futures added 4.5 points, or 0.2%, to 2,347. Nasdaq-100 futures added 7 points, or 0.1%, to 5,373.

Lately, the trend for equities has been lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen for five straight days, its longest losing streak since January, although most of the declines were 0.1% or smaller. However, all three major indexes fell more than 1% on Tuesday, breaking a multimonth streak without a drop of that magnitude.

Opinion:Your best defensive bet is...tech stocks? (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/your-best-defensive-bet-is-tech-stocks-2017-03-23)

Plus:These key levels may signal if the stock market is set to rise or fall (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-key-levels-stock-market-technical-analysts-are-watching-as-trump-trade-wobbles-2017-03-22)

Tuesday's selloff was partly driven by concerns of slowing momentum for Trump's pro-growth agenda. Therefore, investors will be closely watching Thursday's House vote on the Trump-backed GOP plan to replace the Affordable Care Act.

Trump has been involved in intense negotiations to push the bill through, and analysts said there is a danger of an equity selloff if he can't achieve that, as it may signal a struggle for him to push through on other plans, such as tax reform and an infrastructure spending package.

See also:Infrastructure ETFs stall as Trump plan moves to back burner (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/infrastructure-etfs-stall-as-trump-plan-moves-to-back-burner-2017-03-20)

David Lafferty, chief market strategist at Natixis Global Asset Management, said he expects more selloffs similar to Tuesday's as investors wake up to the likelihood that gridlock between the Republican party is "nearly as bad as it is between Democrats and Republicans."

"The underlying impetus to stocks remains upward, but with stretched valuations and too much optimism priced in, we expect stocks to lurch forward and back in a return to higher volatility levels," said Lafferty, in a note to clients.

Read:Dennis Gartman sees at least a 5% drop for stocks--and shades of Watergate (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dennis-gartman-sees-at-least-a-5-drop-for-stocks-and-shades-of-watergate-2017-03-22)

Ahead of the health-care vote, the Fed's Yellen is scheduled to give opening remarks at a conference in Washington, D.C. at 8:45 a.m. Eastern. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari will speak on U.S. education policy at a separate conference in D.C. at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

At 7 p.m., Dallas Fed President Rob Kaplan will speak on the economy and monetary policy in Chicago.

Stocks to watch:Apple Inc.(AAPL) may be in focus after a report that it has acquired Workflow, a popular mobile app for automating tasks, TechCrunch reported Wednesday (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-acquires-automation-app-workflow-report-2017-03-22).

Opinion:Your best defensive bet is...tech stocks? (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/your-best-defensive-bet-is-tech-stocks-2017-03-23)

(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/your-best-defensive-bet-is-tech-stocks-2017-03-23)Five Below Inc.(FIVE) shares rose 8% in thin premarket trade after the retailer reported forecast-beating earnings (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/five-below-shares-rally-on-companys-earnings-beat-new-store-openings-2017-03-22) and said it would open 100 new stores in 2017.

Elliot Management Corp. has surfaced as a key player in a $24 billion standoff (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/elliott-pressures-akzo-over-ppg-takeover-bid-2017-03-22) between Akzo Nobel NV and PPG Industries Inc.(PPG). Elliot on Wednesday threatened to use corporate rules to call a special shareholders meeting try to try to force Akzo to at least talk with PPG.

Shares of Microsoft Corp.(MSFT) may be in focus after news that it has agreed to license several patents (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/microsoft-toyota-sign-patent-deal-potentially-for-connected-cars-2017-03-22) to Toyota Motor Corp.(7203.TO).

Other markets: Asian stocks had a largely quiet session (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/asian-markets-hold-their-breath-ahead-of-critical-vote-in-us-2017-03-22), while European stocks hovered at week lows, with investors reluctant to make big moves ahead of the U.S. health care vote.

Oil prices (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-lifted-by-drop-in-us-gasoline-stocks-2017-03-23) firmed up, while gold slipped. The dollar edged up broadly, though it was weaker against the pound, which rallied after U.K. retail sales surged in February (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/uk-retail-sales-surge-14-in-february-2017-03-23).

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 23, 2017 08:27 ET (12:27 GMT)