US Stock Futures Flat, Apple In Focus

Pre-open movers US stock futures traded mostly flat in early pre-market trade. Apple AAPL is expected to announce two new iPhones and an iWatch today. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index for August will be released at 7:30 a.m. ET. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 5 points to 17,105.00, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index futures fell 0.20 points to 2,000.40. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index rose 3 points to 4,096.00. A Peek Into Global Markets European markets were lower today, with the Spanish Ibex Index dropping 0.68%, STOXX Europe 600 Index falling 0.02%. German DAX 30 index dropped 0.08%, French CAC 40 Index fell 0.11% and London's FTSE 100 Index dropped 0.08%. In Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei Stock Average gained 0.28%, China's Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.09 points and India's BSE Sensex dropped 0.20%. Broker Recommendation Analysts at Buckingham Research downgraded Multimedia Games Holding Company MGAM from Buy to Neutral. The target price for Multimedia Games has been raised from $29 to $36.50. Multimedia Games' shares declined 0.66% to $35.91 in pre-market trading. Breaking news

• CytRx CYTR today announced the initiation of enrollment in an open-label Phase 1b clinical trial designed to investigate the preliminary safety and activity of aldoxorubicin plus ifosfamide/mesna as a first-line treatment in subjects with various sarcomas. To read the full news, click here.
• IPC The Hospitalist Company IPCM announced today that it has expanded its presence in Florida with the acquisition of East Coast Hospitalist Inpatient Specialists (ECHIS). To read the full news, click here.
• Top Image Systems TISA announces that all pending litigation between Mitek Systems MITK and Top Image Systems, Ltd. has been settled as of September 8, 2014. To read the full news, click here.
• Education Realty Trust EDR today announced the promotion of Christine Richards to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. To read the full news, click here.