BY THE NUMBERS

U.S. stock futures rose Thursday after better-than-expected earnings results and as Treasury yields drifted lower even after strong economic data. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 slipped from record levels in volatile trading as tech shares declined. The Nasdaq lost 1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average bucked the trend, posting a modest gain. (CNBC)

* CEO of world's largest money manager: 'I am incredibly bullish' on the stock market (CNBC)
* BlackRock's Larry Fink says institutional clients fascinated by crypto but not that interested (CNBC)

The Commerce Department on Thursday reported March retail sales soared 9.8%, well above estimates for a 6.1% increase. A fresh batch of Covid stimulus checks sent consumer purchases surging last month as the U.S. economy continued to get support from aggressive congressional spending. (CNBC)

* Economy is running on a stimulus-fueled caffeine high. What will happen when it wears off? (CNBC)

The Labor Department on Thursday reported 576,000 initial jobless claims last week, much lower than expectations for 710,000 new filings. That was easily the lowest since the early days of the pandemic and represented a sharp decline from the previous week's upwardly revised 769,000 total. (AP)