A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

Pre-open movers US stock futures are higher this morning, as investors are awaiting retail sales data. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 20 points to 13,993.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 2.80 points to 1,519.00. Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 6.75 points to 2,767.50. A Peek Into Global Markets European markets were mixed today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index fell 0.03%, London's FTSE 100 Index dropped 0.13%, German DAX 30 Index rose 0.41% and French CAC 40 Index gained 0.05%. Asian markets ended mostly higher, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average falling 1.04%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index gaining 0.86% and India's Sensex gaining 0.24%. Broker Recommendation Analysts at Credit Suisse upgraded Comcast CMCSA from “neutral” to “outperform.” The target price for Comcast has been raised from $40 to $48. Comcast shares surged 7.13% to $41.75 in pre-market trading. Breaking news

• WellCare Health Plans WCG reported a 43% drop in its fourth-quarter earnings. To read the full news, click here.
• Wi-LAN WILN today announced that Espial(R) Group and WiLAN have entered into an agreement that will see WiLAN assist Espial in licensing certain of Espial's patents related to video-over-IP technology. To read the full news, click here.
• Coeur d'Alene Mines CDE today confirmed that it has submitted a binding proposal to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Orko Silver OKOFF in a transaction with a total value of approximately CAD$384 million. To read the full news, click here.
• LEDnovation, a leading innovator in LED lighting and replacement lamp technology has signed a distribution agreement with Grainger GWW, the leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products serving businesses and institutions. To read the full news, click here.