A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

Pre-open movers

US stock futures are flat this morning, after strong rise in the previous session. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 8 points to 12,026.00 and futures on the S&P 500 stock index fell 2.30 points to 1,243.70. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 1.50 points to 2,296.50.

A Peek Into Global Markets

Asian markets ended higher, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average surging 1.9298%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 moving up 2.47% and China's Shanghai Composite gaining 2.29%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 5.6306% and India's Sensex gained 2.23%. European markets were mostly lower today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index has dropped 0.17%, London's FTSE 100 Index moved up 0.48%, German DAX 30 index fell 0.56% and France CAC 40 index dropped 0.46%.

Broker Recommendation

Analysts at Wunderlich Securities downgraded Bank of the Ozarks Inc

OZRK

from “buy” to “hold.” The target price for Bank of the Ozarks is set to $28. Bank of the Ozarks shares gained 6.02% to close at $28.35 yesterday.

Breaking news

Covidien COV today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared SpiderFX® for the treatment of severely calcified lesions used in conjunction with plaque excision in arteries of the lower extremities. To read the full news, click here.
Williams WMB today announced that its Board of Directors has approved the proposed spinoff of its exploration and production business, WPX Energy, Inc., through a tax-free dividend involving the distribution of all WPX Energy common stock held by Williams to its stockholders. To read the full news, click here.
Limited Brands Inc LTD reported a 7% rise in its November comparable-store sales. To read the full news, click here.
Starbucks Coffee UK SBUX announced today its intent to create thousands of new jobs as it significantly steps up its drive-thru program following three years of development and strong customer response to the convenience of Starbucks coffee on-the-go. To read the full news, click here.