A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

Pre-open movers US stock futures are higher this morning, as investors are awaiting the ADP national employment report. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 8 points to 14,589.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 2.10 points to 1,565.80. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 2.75 points to 2,815.00. A Peek Into Global Markets European markets were lower today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index fell 0.26%, London's FTSE 100 Index dropped 0.46%, French CAC 40 Index declined 0.47% and German DAX 30 index fell 0.26%. Asian markets ended mostly lower, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rising 2.99%, China's Shanghai Composite tumbling 0.11% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropping 0.58%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.14% and India's Sensex dipped 1.26%. Broker Recommendation Analysts at Goldman Sachs downgraded Caterpillar CAT from “buy” to “neutral.” The target price for Caterpillar has been lowered from $116 to $101. Caterpillar shares closed at $84.88 yesterday. Breaking news

• Isis Pharmaceuticals ISIS announced today that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical study for ISIS-APOARx, an antisense drug targeting apolipoprotein(a) for the treatment of atherosclerosis. To read the full news, click here.
• Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. FGP announced today the acquisition of the propane operation of Western Petroleum of Roosevelt, Utah. To read the full news, click here.
• The Ensign Group ENSG, announced today that it has acquired San Marcos Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, a 129-bed skilled nursing facility in San Marcos, Texas, The Courtyard Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, a 56-bed skilled nursing facility in Victoria, Texas, and La Villa Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, a 152-bed skilled nursing facility also in Victoria, Texas. To read the full news, click here.
• AstraZeneca AZN today announced that MedImmune, its global biologics research and development unit, has acquired AlphaCore Pharma, an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based biotechnology company focused on the development of ACP-501, a recombinant human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) enzyme. To read the full news, click here.