US Stock Futures Gain Ahead Of Economic Data

Pre-open movers US stock futures traded higher in early pre-market trade. Data on motor vehicle sales for September will be released today. Data on weekly jobless claims will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET, while the manufacturing PMI for September will be released at 9:45 a.m. ET. The ISM manufacturing index for September and construction spending data for August will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 99 points to 16,271.0, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 10.75 points to 1,919.50. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index surged 32.50 points to 4,195.50. A Peek Into Global Markets European markets were higher today, with the Spanish Ibex Index gaining 1.54 percent, STOXX Europe 600 Index jumping 0.95 percent and German DAX 30 index gaining 0.17 percent. French CAC 40 Index rose 0.96 percent and London's FTSE 100 Index rose 1.21 percent. In Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rose 1.92 percent and India's BSE Sensex climbed 0.25 percent. Broker Recommendation Analysts at Bank of America upgraded Microsoft Corporation MSFT from Underperform to Neutral. Microsoft shares rose 1.15 percent to $44.71 in pre-market trading. Breaking news

• McCormick & Company, Incorporated MKC reported weaker-than-expected earnings for its fiscal third quarter on Thursday. To read the full news, click here.
• Allergan PLC AGN today announced that the company has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market JUVEDERM® ULTRA XC for injection into the lips and perioral area for lip augmentation in adults over the age of 21. To read the full news, click here.
• Huntsman Corporation HUN announced Wednesday, that its board of directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $150 million of the company's common stock. To read the full news, click here.
• Sarepta Therapeutics Inc SRPT today announced additional clinical efficacy and safety data from the Company's Phase IIb program of eteplirsen in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). To read the full news, click here.