A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

Pre-open moversUS stock futures are higher this morning. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 30 points to 13,295.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 4.60 points to 1,433.00. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 4.75 points to 2,718.00. A Peek Into Global Markets European markets were lower today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index fell 0.16%, London's FTSE 100 Index dropped 0.16%, French CAC 40 Index declined 0.11% and German DAX 30 index fell 0.17%.Asian markets ended mixed, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average dropping 0.15%, China's Shanghai Composite gaining 0.10% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rising 0.11%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.65% and India's Sensex dropped 0.69%.Broker RecommendationAnalysts at Citigroup downgraded Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) from “buy” to “sell.” The target price for Western Digital has been lowered from $53 to $32.Western Digital shares dropped 1.07% to $36.20 in pre-market trading. Breaking news

• Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced new data from studies evaluating oral BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate), which provide further evidence supporting its strong clinical and radiological effects in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and reinforce its favorable safety profile seen to date. To read the full news, click here.
• LINN Energy LLC (NASDAQ: LINE) announced today the pricing of the initial public offering of 30,250,000 common shares of LinnCo LLC (NASDAQ: LNCO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of LINN, at $36.50 per common share. To read the full news, click here.
• Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: LXRX) announced positive, top-line data from a recently completed Phase 2 study in carcinoid syndrome with telotristat etiprate. To read the full news, click here.
• AU Optronics (NYSE: AUO) signed patent cross-license agreements with E-Ink Holdings and Hydis Technologies Co Ltd, E-Ink's South Korean subsidiary, respectively. To read the full news, click here.