A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

US stock futures are higher this morning, as investors are awaiting economic data. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 80 points to 15,180.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 7.20 points to 1,636.20. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 10.50 points to 2,990.75.

European markets were mostly lower today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index declined 0.04%, London's FTSE 100 index dropped 1.31%, French CAC 40 Index gained 0.51% and German DAX 30 index fell 0.02%. Asian markets ended lower, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average declining 3.72%, China's Shanghai Composite falling 0.06% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index dropping 0.82%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dipped 0.49% and India's Sensex tumbled 0.76%.

Analysts at Deutsche Bank upgraded MetLife

from “hold” to “buy.” The target price for MetLife has been raised from $46 to $51. MetLife's shares closed at $44.21 on Friday.