A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

US stock futures are higher this morning, as investors are awaiting economic data and earnings from General Motors Company

. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 43 points to 14,679.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 4.90 points to 1,582.20. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 9.75 points to 2,873.25.

European markets were mostly lower today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index dropped 0.10%, London's FTSE 100 Index declined 0.09%, French CAC 40 Index fell 0.26% and German DAX 30 index rose 0.25%. Asian markets ended mostly lower, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average dropping 0.76%, China's Shanghai Composite falling 0.17% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index dropping 0.77%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.30% and India's Sensex surged 1.19%.

Analysts at Wunderlich upgraded Viacom

from “hold” to “buy.” The target price for Viacom has been raised from $72 to $80. Viacom's stock closed at $65.90 yesterday.