U.S. stock futures are higher in pre-market trading for Thursday, July 13. The Dow Futures are trading at 21,480.00  with a loss of -0.01% percent or -3.00 point. The S&P 500 Futures are trading at 2,441.25 for up with +0.05% percent or +1.25 point. The Nasdaq Futures are trading at 5,795.62 for up with +0.16% percent or +9.37 point.

In overnight trading in the Eastern Hemisphere, Japan’s Nikkei 225 are trading at 20,099.81 for up with +0.01% percent or +1.43 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng are trading at 26,346.17 for up with +1.16% percent or +302.53 point. China’s Shanghai Composite are trading at 3,218.16 for up with  +0.64% percent or +20.62 point. India’s S&P BSE Sensex are trading at 32,037.38 for up with  +0.73% percent or 232.56 point at 12:15 PM. In Europe, the FTSE 100 are trading at 7,413.50 with a loss of -0.03% percent or  –2.41 point. Germany’s DAX are trading at 12,630.98 for up with +0.03% percent or +4.40 point. France’s CAC 40 are trading at 5,246.71 for up with +0.47% percent or +24.58 point. The Stoxx Europe 600 are trading at 386.27 for up with +0.34% percent or +1.29 point.

Thursday’s Factors and Events

U.S. stocks were set for a slightly higher open Wall Street on Thursday, with the Dow average on track for another record a day after dovish comments from Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen encouraged investors to dive back into the stock market.

Future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average YMU7, +0.06%  rose 2 points to 21,486, while those for the S&P 500 index ESU7, +0.11%  climbed 2 points, or 0.1%, to 2,442.75. Nasdaq-100 Index futures NQU7, +0.22%  gained 12.5 points, or 0.2%, to 5,798.

“The risk appetite is back in force after Janet Yellen hinted that the cost of borrowing could increase slower than previously thought at the first day of her semiannual testimony in front of the Congress,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior market analyst at London Capital Group, in a note.

Wednesday’s Activity

U.S. market  were higher on Wednesday. For the day the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 21,532.14 for up with 0.57% percent or +123.07 point.The S&P 500 closed at 2,443.25 for up with +0.73% percent or +17.72 point. The Nasdaq Composite closed at 6,261.17 for up with +1.10% percent or +67.87 point.

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,424.32 for up with +0.80% percent or +11.27 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 857.94 for up with +0.77% percent or +6.59 point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 1,757.34 for up with +0.69% percent or +1.99 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,075.97 for up with  +0.67% percent or +7.16 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,447.81 for up with  +0.74% percent or 10.57 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,353.93 for up with  +0.73% percent or +9.81 point; and the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index closed at 21,532.14 for up with +0.57% percent or +123.07 point.