The stock market appeared headed for a modestly lower open Thursday as investors looked for more evidence of an economic recovery.

U.S. stock futures slipped even as European markets moved lower after prices surged in Asia.

Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 21, or 0.2 percent, to 9,517. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures fell 3.00, or 0.3 percent, to 1,029.50, while Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 3.25, or 0.2 percent, to 1,662.75.

Before the market opens Thursday, Wall Street will get a reading on unemployment when the Labor Department reports on the number of new jobless claims filed last week.

The numbers are projected to show new unemployment insurance claims fell to a seasonally adjusted 560,000 from 570,000 the previous week, according to economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters.

The report is due at 8:30 a.m. EDT.

A Federal Reserve report on Wednesday provided some reassurance that the economy is showing signs of stabilization.

That helped the stock market extend its gains to a fourth day as the Dow rose 49.88, or 0.5 percent, to 9,547.22, its second-highest close of the year. The S&P 500 index rose to an 11-month high.

Meanwhile, bond prices were mixed. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.46 percent from 3.48 percent late Wednesday. The yield on the three-month T-bill, considered one of the safest investments, rose to 0.14 percent from 0.13 percent late Wednesday.

The dollar mostly rose against other major currencies early Wednesday morning, while gold fell.

(Agencies)