US Futures Undecided On The Move Before Release of Home and Car Sales Data

US stock futures were unsure of the move to take ahead of the release of data on home and car sales. While S&P 500 futures gained a fifth of a point to 1129.00, NASDAQ 100 futures dropped 1.5 points to 1885.20. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up by 5 points.

The advance in US stock futures was driven by impressive manufacturing survey results across the globe and favorable comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Vice Chairman Donald Kohn.

Meanwhile, Asian markets took a cue from the rally in the US and Europe. While Nikkei 225 rose 0.3%, the Hang Seng gained 2.1%. The FTSE 100 in London was up 0.4%. In the commodity market, gold futures moved up roughly $5 an ounce, while the dollar index slipped 0.2%. Oil prices continued to rise for the ninth consecutive day and are now close to $82 a barrel.