Wall Street looks set to snap the lackadaisical phase as evident by the trading in the U.S. index futures, which points to a higher opening on Thursday. However, the rest of the global markets fared badly, with Asian stocks closing lower for the day and the European markets going about a nervous run. The weakness in Asia came despite Australia reporting strong jobs data. Traders across the Atlantic are all eyes and ears for the Bank of England’s rate decision. With dollar mixed and commodities flat, there are no clear directional cues. That said, traders in the domestic markets may track the jobless claims report and monthly sales results of chain stores, which would give some indications about the holiday selling trends.