Wall Street inches higher before the bell ahead of critical jobs data release this week

Wall Street inched higher ahead of new jobs data this week that could influence the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy decision later this month.

Futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each rose 0.2% before the opening bell Thursday, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were unchanged.

Shares of American Eagle Outfitters are up 26% after the teen fashion retailer reported more than double the second-quarter profit that Wall Street forecast late Wednesday. The company benefitted from a frenzy of media attention in late July over its intentionally provocative advertising campaign featuring 27-year-old actor Sydney Sweeney.

The ads — which featured the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” — sparked a debate about race, Western beauty standards, and the backlash to “