A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

US stock futures are mixed this morning, as investors are awaiting international trade data. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 10 points to 15,207.00 and S&P 500 index futures fell 0.80 points to 1,635.40. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 1.75 points to 2,987.25.

European markets were higher today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index rose 0.36%, London's FTSE 100 index gained 0.64%, French CAC 40 Index surged 0.17% and German DAX 30 index rose 0.26%. Asian markets ended mixed, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average surging 2.05%, China's Shanghai Composite falling 1.17% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index rising 0.27%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 0.01% and India's Sensex tumbled 0.29%.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs downgraded Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance

from “buy” to “neutral.” The target price for Ulta Salon has been raised from $93 to $98. Ulta Salon's shares closed at $89.74 yesterday.