A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

US stock futures are higher this morning, as investors are awaiting consumer spending data. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 25 points to 13,046.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 2 points to 1,417.70. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 7.75 points to 2,687.75.

European markets were higher today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index rose 0.22%, London's FTSE 100 Index gained 0.23%, French CAC 40 Index surged 0.33% and German DAX 30 index rose 0.43%. Asian markets ended higher, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rising 0.48%, China's Shanghai Composite rising 0.85% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gaining 0.62%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 0.49% and India's Sensex jumped 0.88%.

Analysts at Jefferies upgraded ConAgra Foods

from “hold” to “buy.” The target price for ConAgra has been raised from $29 to $35. ConAgra shares dropped 0.17% to close at $29.60 yesterday.