Stock Futures Higher Heading into Thursday's Open

Investors are reacting to a spate of earnings reports released on Thursday morning and U.S. stock futures indicate that the market will rise at the open. With a little more than an hour until the equities open, S&P 500 futures had climbed roughly 8 points, or 0.55 percent. Dow futures were up 60 points while Nasdaq futures contracts had added 17 points, or 0.64 percent. Among the big gainers in Wednesday's pre-market trading session are Zynga ZNGA, Akamai AKAM, Symantec SYMC and Dunkin' Brands DNKN. Stocks that are falling include Crocs CROX, F5 Networks FFIV, Logitech LOG and Triquint Semiconductor TQNT. Consumer goods giants Colgate-Palmolive CL and Proctor & Gamble PG are among the most prominent companies to release quarterly earnings results on Wednesday morning. Colgate-Palmolive reported adjusted net income for its fiscal third-quarter of $661 million or $1.38 per share, compared to $641 million or $1.31 per share, in the year ago period. This was in-line with analysts' consensus EPS estimates. Revenues in the quarter were $4.33 billion, a slight decline versus the $4.38 billion the company reported last year. In pre-market trading, the stock was down around 0.50 percent to $106.00. Proctor & Gamble PG said that its net income for its fiscal first-quarter was $2.81 billion or $0.96 per share, compared to $3.02 billion or $1.03 per share, last year. On an adjusted basis, net earnings per share were up 5 percent to $1.06. In the year ago period, Proctor & Gamble reported adjusted EPS of $1.01. This came in ahead of Wall Street analysts' consensus EPS estimates of $0.96. Looking ahead to its fiscal second-quarter, the company guided for adjusted EPS of $1.07 to $1.09 and a sales increase of down one percent to up one percent versus last year's corresponding quarter. Currently, analysts have consensus EPS estimates of $1.10 on revenues of $21.77 billion. In pre-market trading, PG was up around 1.60 percent to $69.15.