Wall Street ticks higher ahead of the opening bell as more companies report earnings

Wall Street was on track to open with gains on Thursday as markets continue focus on corporate earnings amid the void of economic data due to the U.S. government shutdown.

Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.4% before the opening bell, while futures for the Dow Jones industrials ticked up 0.3%. Futures for the Nasdaq, where most big tech companies trade, were up 0.6%.