Stocks rallied Thursday as investors shrugged off a rise in jobless claims and focused on encouraging earnings from Ford and 3M. A third straight rise in existing-home sales also buoyed the market.

Second quarter results from manufacturing conglomerate 3M Co. beat analysts' expectations, helped by sales of anti-swine flu respiratory products.

Futures indicated a slightly higher open for Wall Street Thursday ahead of another vast amount of earnings reports.

Think of Wall Street as an obese person trying to find a healthy lifestyle. Then you'll begin to understand second-quarter earnings this year.

As large cities around the world try to go green by doing everything from banning plastic shopping bags to installing wind turbines on roofs, a whole new generation of sustainable communities is getting built from the ground up.