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

US DATA PREVIEW: On tap for Thursday: Weekly jobless claims; March durable

goods; housing vacancies rate; Kansas City Fed Mfg Index.

- Morgan Stanley economists look for durable goods orders excluding

transportation equipment "to soften by 0.1% in March, given the modest decline

in durable goods manufacturing in the March industrial production report.

Overall durable goods orders, meanwhile, post a modest 0.5% rebound in our

forecasts following the 1.6% drop in February."

- Barclays economists estimate durable goods orders to "increase 2.2% m/m in

March following February's 1.6% m/m

decrease. The swing in growth from February to March is largely driven by new

order reports from Boeing, which leads us to expect a 5.8% m/m increase in

orders in the volatile nondefense aircraft and parts category. Excluding

aircraft, we expect orders to register a mediocre 0.3% m/m increase on the heels

of February's 0.1% m/m decline."