On tap for Thursday: Weekly.........>

US DATA PREVIEW: On tap for Thursday: Weekly claims; March Philadelphia Fed Mfg

Index; Leading Indicators for February; natural gas stocks; Fed weekly

securities holdings for March.

- Morgan Stanley economists "forecast a 0.1% rise in the Conference Board's

leading index in February following a flat reading in January. Supporting the

index will be a rebound in consumer confidence, rising stock prices, and the

yield curve."

- On Philly Fed survey, Nomura economists say "after a sharp, downside surprise

in the Philly Fed survey in February, with the headline business conditions

index falling to -4.1, we expect a rebound in March to 7.0. Other regional

Federal Reserve Bank manufacturing surveys during February remained somewhat

subdued but within territory above the

contractionary Philly Fed reading, suggesting some room for recovery in March."