Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:1. Stock futures rise slightlyTraders on the floor of the NYSE, August 1, 2022.Source: NYSEWall Street is set for a slightly higher open Thursday, as futures contracts for all three major U.S. stock indexes were in the green. The market is looking to build off Wednesday's robust gains, which put an end to a two-day losing streak to start August trading. The Nasdaq Composite outperformed Wednesday, advancing 2.59% as investors flocked to beaten-up tech stocks. The S&P 500 added 1.56% and reached its highest level since June, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.29%.2. Walmart lays off corporate employeesA shopping cart outside a Walmart store in Torrance, California, US, on Sunday, May 15, 2022. Walmart Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures on May 17.Bing Guan | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesWalmart, the largest private employer in the U.S., has started to lay off corporate workers. The decision, which the company confirmed Wednesday, came public a little more than one week after the Arkansas-based retail giant cut its full-year profit outlook and warned about inflation's impact on discretionary spending. "Shoppers are changing. Customers are changing," Walmart spokesperson Anne Hatfield told CNBC's Melissa Repko on Wednesday. "We are doing some restructuring to make sure we're aligned." Read CNBC's full story here.3. Oil rises after reaching nearly 6-month lowsOil pumpjacks are viewed in the Inglewood Oil Field in Los Angeles, California. Oil prices dropped early on Monday as investors braced for this week's meeting of officials from OPEC and other top producers on supply adjustments.Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesOil prices rose Thursday, a day after crude futures for both the U.S. and international benchmarks slid nearly 4% and settled at their lowest levels since February. The move came as OPEC and its oil-producing allies said they would only raise their output by 100,000 barrels per day in September. An unexpected increase in U.S. crude and gasoline stockpiles also weighed on energy markets in Wednesday's session. On Thursday, West Texas Intermediate futures traded up roughly 0.7% to around $91.27 per barrel.4. Alibaba shares gain after earnings beatMore and more Asian companies have announced share buybacks in recent weeks. Chinese internet giant Alibaba has said it will increase its share buyback program from $15 billion to $25 billion.Sheldon Cooper, SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images5. Bank of England hikes rates by half-percentage pointGeneral view of The Royal Exchange, Bank of England and City of London on an overcast day.Vuk Valcic | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty ImagesThe Bank of England raised interest rates by 50 basis points Thursday, its biggest single-meeting increase in 27 years as the U.K. central bank tries to tamp down inflationary pressures. Notably, the Bank of England now projects the nation's economy will enter a recession in the fourth quarter of 2022 that could last more than a year. It expects headline inflation to peak in October, at 13.3%, and stay above its 2% target until 2025. Read the full story from CNBC's Elliot Smith here.— Sign up now for the CNBC Investing Club to follow Jim Cramer's every stock move. Follow the broader market action like a pro on CNBC Pro.
5 things to know before the stock market opens Thursday.