A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

Pre-open moversUS stock futures are higher this morning, as investors are awaiting economic data. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 29 points to 14,415.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 3.70 points to 1,550.60. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 9.50 points to 2,793.50. A Peek Into Global Markets European markets were higher today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index rose 0.18%, London's FTSE 100 Index gained 0.13%, French CAC 40 Index surged 0.73% and German DAX 30 index rose 0.28%.Asian markets ended mostly lower, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average falling 0.60%, China's Shanghai Composite dropping 1.25% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declining 0.74%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 0.27% and India's Sensex rose 0.12%.Broker RecommendationAnalysts at Piper Jaffray upgraded Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) from “neutral” to “overweight.” The target price for Electronic Arts has been raised from $20 to $23. Electronic Arts shares closed at $17.56 yesterday. Breaking news

• VIVUS (NASDAQ: VVUS) today announced that it has entered into a $110 million non-equity financing with an investment fund managed by Pharmakon Advisors. To read the full news, click here.
• Focusing on the long-term opportunities related to economic development and infrastructure investment planned for China, Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) executives announced Monday the opening of a new facility and the completed expansion of another facility in Wuxi, China. To read the full news, click here.
• ZIOPHARM Oncology (NASDAQ: ZIOP) announced today that its Phase 3 trial of palifosfamide (ZIO-201) for the treatment of metastatic soft tissue sarcoma in the first-line setting (PICASSO 3) did not meet its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS). To read the full news, click here.
• Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has been selected by the State of Ohio, following a competitive bid process, to build a new integrated eligibility system for health and human service programs. To read the full news, click here.