MARKET SNAPSHOT: U.S. Stocks: Futures Slide; Jobless Claims Drop

By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks futures slumped on Thursday, implying that there may be more carnage in store for investors after Wednesday's wild roller-coaster trading session when markets open Thursday.

Stronger-than-expected jobless claim data did little to alleviate fears of a slowdown in the U.S. recovery. A hefty lineup of Federal Reserve speakers, and earnings from prominent companies such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which posted healthy trading results, could steer the market.

Futures for the S&P 500 index (SPZ4) dropped 27 points, or 1.5%, to 1,820, while those for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJZ4) lost 203 points, or 1.3%, to 15,805. Futures for the Nasdaq-100 index (NDZ4) fell 52 points, or 1.4%, to 3,700.

The weakness came after U.S. stock benchmarks flirted with their worst daily decline in more than three years on Wednesday, although they trimmed losses before the bell. Read: Here's what drove the market meltdown

Earnings: The results season continued at full speed on Thursday, with a heavy lineup ahead of the opening bell.

Goldman Sachs (GS) reported third-quarter earnings of $4.57, beating a consensus estimate from FactSet of $3.21, but reported higher expenses. Shares 3% premarket amid broader market losses.

Delta Air Lines (DAL) dropped 2.4% after reporting third-quarter results.

Tobacco maker Philip Morris International (PM) reported third-quarter profit that topped expectations, but cut its full-year outlook citing the negative impact from the currency markets. Shares lost 0.8% premarket.

Toy maker Mattel Inc. (MAT) posted earnings and sales that fell short of expectations as gross sales of its flagship Barbie doll fell 21% world-wide. Shares dropped 4% ahead of the open.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) reported third-quarter profit of $1.63 a share, beating estimates of EPS of $1.53. Shares, however, slipped 0.5% in premarket trade.

Baker Hughes Inc. (BHI) shares dropped 10% ahead of the open after the oil-field-services company reported earnings per share that fell short of forecasts.

Movers and shakers: Netflix Inc. (NFLX) shares sank 26% in premarket trade, after the video-streaming company on Wednesday said its new-subscriber count fell short of its forecast of 3.69 million. It added 3.02 million new members during the quarter.

Ebay Inc. (EBAY) lost 3% in premarket trade after the online retailer late Wednesday reported third-quarter earnings fell to $673 million, or 54 cents a share, from $837 million, or 53 cents a share, in the year-earlier period.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) was down 1.9%, ahead of a scheduled event where the tech giant is expected to launch new iPads and the latest in the iMac line.

Data: U.S. weekly jobless claims fall 23,000 to 264,000, to the lowest level in more than 14 years. Eastern Time, followed by industrial production and capacity utilization data at 9:15 a.m. Eastern. At 10 a.m. Eastern, the home builders' index and Philly Fed report for October are due.

Fed speakers: Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser will speak on the economic outlook in Allentown, Pa. at 8 a.m. Eastern. He's a voting member of the Fed's policy committee this year.

Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart will talk about on U.S. workforce development at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ at 9 a.m. Eastern. Lockhart will be a voting member of the Fed's policy committee in 2015.

Also a voting member, Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota will speak on the objectives of monetary policy in Billings, Mont. at 10 a.m. Eastern.

Finally, St. Louis President James Bullard will hold a Q&A with Vox blogger Matthew Yglesias at 12:45 p.m. Eastern. Bullard isn't a voting member this year.

Oil slide: Crude-oil futures continued their brutal decline on Thursday, with the front-runner contract (CLX4) dropping below $80 a barrel, on track for the lowest settlement price since June 2012. A Gulf official said U.S. oil prices could fall to around $70 a barrel, suggesting that some in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries see prices falling further.

Other markets: Europe's benchmark stock index dropped for an eighth straight day, after closing 3.2% lower on Wednesday. Data from Eurostat confirmed that inflation fell to an almost five-year low of 0.3% in September. Read: European stocks slip into correction amid 'perfect storm'

Asian markets closed mostly in the red, with the Nikkei falling 2.2%. Most metals traded lower, while the dollar rose against most major currencies.

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