Stock markets show cautious optimism amidst debt ceiling talks and Fed rate hike outlook.

Stock futures rose slightly in overnight trading on Thursday as Wall Street continued to monitor the situation surrounding the debt ceiling. Shares of Ross Stores traded slightly lower in overnight trading after the retailer beat Wall Street's earnings expectations but offered cautious guidance for the current period. Stock market bullishness among individual investors keeps shrinking, falling to just 22.9% in the latest survey out Thursday from the American Association of Individual Investors, down from 29.4% last week.