Investors worried about Europe again

Investors are worried about Europe again Thursday, and set to push stock prices lower at the open.

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A rise in Spanish bond yields renewed concerns about the euro zone's financial health.

Concerns mounted about Spain and its ability to meet budget targets, hitting the euro zone peripheral indexes. Poor demand at a Spanish bond sale on Wednesday heightened fears about funding difficulties for weaker euro zone countries, with investors seeing an easing of the effects of the European Central Bank's huge liquidity injections.

In economic news, the Labor Department said first-time claims for jobless benefits fell 6,000 to 357,000 in the week ended March 31. The data provide clues on the all-important March employment data due on the Good Friday holiday when markets will be closed.

"It's going to be a choppy, cautious trading day. Jitters over Spain, heading into the long weekend, and the all-important jobs report out tomorrow, there isn't much that would motivate investors at this time," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York.

Earlier on Thursday, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, reported that the number of planned layoffs at U.S. firms fell in March to the lowest level in 10 months as the government sector cut fewer jobs.

Ford Motor Co has raised its forecast for total 2012 auto sales after the industry's solid first quarter, Ford President for the Americas Mark Fields said on Wednesday.

JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said on Wednesday that the company is inclined to restrict its stock buybacks when its shares are trading above $45.

Nike Inc beat rival Reebok International in court on Wednesday in a legal pile-up over the use of popular National Football League quarterback Tim Tebow's name and number on shirts of his new team, the New York Jets.

Apple Inc and publishers Pearson and Macmillan are reluctant to agree to terms sought by U.S. and European antitrust authorities investigating possible electronic-book price-fixing, the Wall Street Journal cited sources as saying on Wednesday.

The services sector in China, the world's second-largest economy, expanded solidly in March and business confidence hit an 11-month high, though overall activity remained below its long-term average, a private sector survey of purchasing managers showed on Thursday.

U.S. stocks fell for a second day on Wednesday as investors contemplated a world without monetary stimulus and a poorly received bond auction in Spain suggested the effects of Europe's funding operations were waning.

The benchmark S&P 500 index has fallen in eight of the past 12 sessions, dropping below its 14-day moving average for the first time in a month. The Nasdaq posted its worst daily percentage drop since December 14.

Reuters contributed to this report.