A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

US stock futures are lower this morning, as investors are awaiting economic data. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 31 points to 13,858.00 and S&P 500 index futures fell 3 points to 1,504.10. Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 11 points to 2,726.50.

European markets were lower today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index fell 1.20%, London's FTSE 100 Index dipped 1.56%, French CAC 40 Index fell 1.72% and German DAX 30 index declined 1.73%. Asian markets ended lower, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average dropping 1.39%, China's Shanghai Composite falling 2.97% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropping 2.26%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index tumbled 1.72% and India's Sensex fell 1.62%.

Analysts at Piper Jaffray downgraded VeriFone Systems

from “overweight” to “neutral.” The target price for VeriFone has been lowered from $42 to $24. VeriFone shares tumbled 35.25% to $20.65 in pre-market trading.