The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is a balmy 64 degrees and it is mostly overcast and damp here in the Upper Hudson Valley. We are expecting to see 70 degrees here on Christmas Eve. Everybody around is talking about the weather and considering last winter was very extreme, people are more than happy about the lack of snow, and the higher temperatures. I mean it feels like spring out there. I suspect that all greenery and to a certain extent even our bodies are wondering WTF is going on. It is unusual to see the neighbors out there in short pants while walking their dog on Christmas Eve.

  At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is up, now around $38. The market is poised to open higher.

  Weekly first time layoff numbers came in at a very low 267,000. We can see why the GOP needs to change the topic of conversation from the economy towards ISIS and terrorism. Without that, what exactly do they have to go into conniptions about. Considering the GOP Congress has done virtually nothing to help along the economy, their record certainly doesn't offer much to anybody anywhere. It will be short trading day and hopefully calm even minded heads will prevail

CNN: Stocks: 5 things to Ho-Ho-Ho before the open

U.S. stock futures are barely moving. U.S. exchanges will close early -- at 1 p.m. ET -- for Christmas Eve and will reopen on Monday, Dec. 28.

Oil is trading around $38 a barrel, an increase of nearly 1% on the day. Precious metals are ticking higher.

Reuters: U.S. jobless claims near 42-year low as labor market tightens