Market overview: US job openings fall in June

LONDON (ShareCast) - (ShareCast News) - 1550: The number of job openings in the US declined in June, even though the number of people hired increase, figures released on Wednesday showed. According to the JOLTS job openings report, the number of job openings declined from 5.36m to 5.25m in June, while the number of hired rose to 5.18m from 5.06m. The figure was below analysts' expectations for a 5.35m reading.

1409: Kraft Heinz is slashing 2,500 jobs in the US and Canada as part of its plans to cut costs. It comes after the company was created through the $46-billion merger of ketchup maker H.J. Heinz with Kraft Foods (NasdaqGS: KRFT - news) .

1328: Alibaba has reported worse-than-expected first-quarter results, which sent its shares in the US down 6% in premarket trading. The Chinese e-commerce company's revenues rose 28% to 20.25m yuan ($3.27bn), compared to expectations of $3.32bn.

1220: Applications for US home mortgages edged slightly higher last week, data released on Wednesday showed.The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its seasonally adjusted index of application activity, which covers home purchase demand and refinancing demand, climbed 0.1% in the week ended 7 August.

1130: Greek MPs will hold an emergency session to ratify the text of the country's new bailout programme, the parliament website stated on Wednesday. However, doubts remain over the timing of the vote and whether the deal agreed on Tuesday will have the full support of all the European Union members.

1023: Industrial production in the Eurozone declined fell 0.4% in June compared with an upwardly revised 0.2% fall in the previous month and expectations of a 0.1% drop.

0933: UK unemployment stood at 5.6% in the second quarter of 2015, as expected. Average weekly earnings came in lower, at 2.4% year-on-year, against estimates of 2.8%.

0905: UK stocks have opened lower ahead of the release of jobs data from the Office for National Statistics that may provide clues on the timing of an interest rate increase by the Bank of England. The BoE last week decided to keep interest rates unchanged at 0.5%. Governor Mark Carney said the timing of a first interest rate hike was drawing closer but the exact time could not be predicted and will be "data dependent".