TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) — Wall Street futures were steady Thursday, after the U.S.’s Independence Day holiday, as investors awaited interest-rate decisions from Europe and retail-sales and other economic reports in the U.S.

Personal-service jobs defy recession

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJU2 +0.14%  were flat at 12,867. S&P 500 futures SPU2 +0.23% were off 0.2 point at 1367. And futures on the Nasdaq 100 NDU2 +0.22%  ticked up nearly 1.3 points to near 2643.

Investors on the Continent’s bourses were cautious before the European Central Bank and the Bank of England announced their rate decisions. Read Europe Markets.

Also: Europe set to cut rates. But what of the deposit rate?

Asia markets fell on profit taking, with Chinese stocks hurt by concern about the country’s weakening economy. Read Asia Markets.

In a half-day of trading Tuesday before the Independence Day holiday, U.S. stocks closed higher after a surprise jump in May factory orders and as higher commodities prices boosted energy and materials stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA +0.56%  finished near its intraday high, advancing 72.43 points, or 0.56%, to 12,943.82.

The S&P 500 Index SPX +0.62%   closed up 8.5 points, or 0.62%, at 1,374.02.

The Nasdaq Composite index advanced almost 25 points, or 0.84%, to finish at 2,976.08.

Barclays

Barclays PLC, BCS -2.14%   UK:BARC +0.15% the U.K. banking major, will remain a key focus for investors.