US stock futures point to further recovery after second strong day for Wall Street

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Stock futures pointed higher on Wednesday following a second strong day for Wall Street.

Dow (INDU) futures were up around 0.9%, or 186 points. S&P 500 (SPX) futures rose about 0.6% and Nasdaq (COMP) futures were up 0.7%.

The Dow and S&P 500 on Tuesday and Wednesday posted their first back-to-back gains since February. The Dow ended up 2.4%, or 496 points. The S&P 500 closed up 1.2%.

The Nasdaq Composite finished down just 0.5%.

The gains came after US lawmakers appeared to reach a deal on a $2 trillion economic stimulus bill early Wednesday morning aimed at helping individuals and companies amid the coronavirus crisis.

But on Thursday, US jobless claims will highlight just how badly the economy has been hit by coronavirus. Economists expect 1 million people to have filed for unemployment benefits in the week ended March 21, which would be the highest ever recorded, and some believe the number could be even higher.

- Anneken Tappe contributed to this report

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