A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

US stock futures are slightly higher this morning, as investors are awaiting economic data. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 18 points to 12,881.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 1.10 points to 1,390.20. Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 4.50 points to 2,614.50.

European markets were higher today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index surged 0.22%, London's FTSE 100 Index rose 0.24%, French CAC 40 Index climbed 0.45% and German DAX 30 index gained 0.55%. Asian markets ended lower, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average falling 1.51%, China's Shanghai Composite dropping 1.63% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropping 0.71%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 2.41% and India's Sensex declined 0.30%.

Analysts at Jefferies downgraded Autodesk

from “buy” to “hold.” The target price for Autodesk has been lowered from $39 to $34. Autodesk shares dropped 2.59% to close at $31.57 yesterday.