A Peek Into The Markets: U.S. Stock Futures Signal Lower Start On Wall Street

Pre-open movers

U.S. stock futures traded lower in early pre-market trade. U.S. international trade report for April is scheduled for release at 8:30 a.m. ET, while the Markit Services PMI for June will be released at 9:45 a.m. ET. The Dallas Fed Manufacturing Business Index for June is scheduled for release at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 126 points to 17,121.00, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures fell 15 points to 2,003.50. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index dropped 36 points to 4,225.75.

Oil prices traded lower as Brent crude futures dropped 0.81 percent to trade at $48.08 per barrel, while US WTI crude futures also fell 0.97 percent to trade at $47.21 a barrel.

A Peek Into Global Markets

European markets were lower today, with the Spanish Ibex Index falling 1.17 percent, STOXX Europe 600 Index dipping 2.84 percent and German DAX 30 index dropping 1.90 percent. The UK's FTSE index was trading lower by 1.52 percent, while French CAC 40 Index fell 1.80 percent.

In Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average rose 2.39 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 0.16 percent, China’s Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.45 percent and India’s BSE Sensex gained 0.02 percent.

Broker Recommendation

Analysts at Goldman upgraded Randgold Resources Ltd. (ADR) GOLD from Neutral to Buy.

Randgold shares rose 3.95 percent to $105.17 in pre-market trading.

Breaking news

• Medtronic PLC MDT announced its plans to acquire HeartWare International Inc HTWR for $58 per share in cash.



• DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. XRAY revealed that it reached a definitive agreement to buy all the outstanding shares of privately held Israel-based MIS Implants Technologies Ltd. for $375 million in cash. To read the full news, click here.



• Energy Transfer Equity LP ETE shares rose over 5 percent pre-market, after a Delaware judge decided the company could walk away from its $20 billion+ takeover of Williams Companies Inc WMB without a penalty.



• Skullcandy, Inc. SKUL disclosed that on June 24, it received an unsolicited proposal from Mill Road Capital to buy all the outstanding shares of the company for $6.05 a share. To read the full news, click here.