A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

Pre-open movers US stock futures are slightly higher this morning, as investors are awaiting economic data. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 19 points to 13,154.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 2.20 points to 1,405.70. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 3 points to 2,741.50. A Peek Into Global Markets European markets were mixed today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index dropped 0.07%, French CAC 40 index rose 0.03%. London's FTSE 100 Index moved down 0.23% and German DAX 30 index rose 0.09%. Asian markets ended mostly lower, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average gaining 1.88%, China's Shanghai Composite dipping 0.32% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 moving up 1.08%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 0.45% and India's Sensec fell 0.40%. Broker Recommendation Analysts at Citigroup downgraded Staples SPLS from “neutral” to “sell.” The target price for Staples has been lowered from $15 to $10. Staples shares gained 0.09% to $11.50 in after-hours trading. Breaking news

• Joe's Jeans JOEZ announced the opening of its West Coast flagship store and seventh freestanding boutique, located on Melrose Place in Los Angeles, California. To read the full news, click here.
• Lexicon Pharmaceuticals LXRX today reported preliminary results from Phase 1 studies of LX2931 and LX7101. To read the full news, click here.
• Jacada JCDA has appointed veteran technology executive Guy Yair as Co-Chief Executive Officer (Co-CEO). To read the full news, click here.
• Genpact Limited G announced the signing of an agreement with the Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur, one of India's leading business schools, to create a "Knowledge Partnership." To read the full news, click here.