US Stock Futures Edge Lower Ahead Of Wholesale Trade Data

Related AAPL HomeAway Buys Glad to Have You App - Analyst Blog BlackBerry's U.S. Market Share Dips - Analyst Blog Related DGX Stocks Hitting 52-Week Lows UPDATE: Quest Diagnostics Posts Higher Q4 Profit, Issues Downbeat 2014 Forecast

Pre-open movers

US stock futures declined in early pre-market trading, ahead of wholesale trade data. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index for February will be released at 7:30 a.m. ET, while wholesale trade data for January will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 8 points to 16,405.00, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index futures fell 1.30 points to 1,875.90. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index declined 0.25 points to 3,707.25.

A Peek Into Global Markets

European markets were mostly lower today, with the Spanish Ibex Index dropping 0.03%, London's FTSE 100 index falling 0.37% and STOXX Europe 600 Index declining 0.07%. German DAX 30 index rose 0.17% and French CAC 40 Index declined 0.39%. German exports climbed 2.2% on the month in January, while imports rose 4.1%. UK's industrial production increased 0.1% in January versus December.

Asian markets ended mostly higher today. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average gained 0.69%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.02%, China's Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.10% and India's BSE Index declined 0.12%.

Broker Recommendation

Analysts at Pacific Crest upgraded Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) from "sector perform" to "outperform." The target price for Apple is set to $635.

Apple's shares gained 0.60% to $534.12 in pre-market trading.

Breaking news

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) today announced that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement under which Quest will acquire Summit Health. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. To read the full news, click here. Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals (OTC: BAYRY) and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, an Amgen subsidiary (NASDAQ: AMGN), today announced that a Phase 3 trial evaluating the investigational use of NEXAVAR® (sorafenib) tablets as an adjuvant treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver cancer, who had no detectable disease after surgical resection or local ablation, did not meet its primary endpoint of improving recurrence-free survival. To read the full news, click here. Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) today announced that, further to its release of March 10, 2014, it has completed the divestment of 41.0 million ordinary shares in African Barrick Gold plc, representing in aggregate approximately 10.0 percent of the issued ordinary share capital of ABG, at a price of 275 pence per ordinary share, raising gross proceeds of approximately GBP 113 million (US$188 million). To read the full news, click here. Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) dropped in after-hours trading after the company released its fourth quarter results. The firm reported a Q4 EPS of $0.59 versus the Street estimate of $0.55. To read the full news, click here.

Posted-In: Pacific Crest US Stock FuturesNews Eurozone Futures Global Pre-Market Outlook Markets

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