The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 12 degrees and snowing here in Upstate NY. The new snow is on top of ice as the temperatures over the last two days rose above 32 and started melting the huge piles of snow heaped by the sides of all roads. That melt water is now ice. Please drive carefully and give yourself plenty of room between you and the next guy. The weather logo is promising a return to slightly warmer temperatures tomorrow. Hey, this freezing misery can't last too much longer, be patient.

  At 8:30 a.m. ET futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open higher.

  It's been a rough week in stocks as China's rare unsteady economic news along with the Ukraine mess have pressured investors into gold and away from equities. Who knows why the market is presently poised to open higher, but it could be a sign of steady as she goes. On the other hand, I am going to take a serious look at Plug Power. Also with first time weekly layoff claims at a rare low number there is something here to hang one's hat on.

CNN: Stocks: Edging higher but caution remains

On the corporate side, Plug Power will report earnings before the open. It's a highly speculative stock that's enjoyed a massive run as of late and was continuing to climb in premarket trading.

Reuters: U.S. jobless claims fall to new three-month low

315,000