US Stock Futures Up Ahead Of Earnings

US stock futures are higher this morning, as investors are awaiting earnings reports from major companies. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 35 points to 14,679.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 3.90 points to 1,577.50. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 7.50 points to 2,830.50.US stocks closed higher on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 1.05% to 14,719.46, the S&P 500 index surging 1.04% to 1,578.78 and the Nasdaq 100 index rising 1.11% to 3,269.33. The MBA purchase applications index will be released at 7:00 a.m. ET, while durable goods orders data for March will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET. The EIA weekly report on petroleum inventories will be released at 10:30 a.m. ET.Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F) is estimated to report its Q1 earnings at $0.38 per share on revenue of $33.83 billion. The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $1.48 per share on revenue of $18.84 billion. Corning (NYSE: GLW) is expected to report its Q1 earnings at $0.24 per share on revenue of $1.96 billion. Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $0.46 per share on revenue of $1.39 billion.Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) is expected to report its Q1 earnings at $1.05 per share on revenue of $5.66 billion. Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA) is projected to post a Q1 loss at $0.04 per share on revenue of $209.79 million. Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) is expected to post its Q3 earnings at $1.77 per share on revenue of $3.61 billion. Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is estimated to report its Q1 earnings at $0.49 per share on revenue of $3.75 billion.Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR) is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $1.93 per share on revenue of $4.39 billion. WellPoint (NYSE: WLP) is expected to report its Q1 earnings at $2.38 per share on revenue of $18.03 billion.Hess (NYSE: HES) is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $1.57 per share on revenue of $9.26 billion. Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) is expected to post a Q1 loss at $0.32 per share on revenue of $8.71 billion. Tupperware Brands (NYSE: TUP) is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $1.13 per share on revenue of $662.93 million. Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is estimated to report its Q1 earnings at $0.21 per share on revenue of $1.35 billion.Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) reported an 18% fall in its Q2 profit. The company lifted its dividend by 15% and added $50 billion to its share- repurchase program. Its gross margins for the second quarter came in at 37.5%, versus estimates of 38.5%.Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) posted a better-than-expected first-quarter profit.European markets were higher today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index rose 0.18%, London's FTSE 100 Index gained 0.21%, French CAC 40 Index surged 0.64% and German DAX 30 index rose 0.52%.Asian markets ended higher, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average surging 2.32%, China's Shanghai Composite gaining 1.55% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rising 1.63%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.73%.