Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.26% rise, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.26% increase, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.24% gain.
Markets continued to eye the outcome of the Fed’s policy meeting on Thursday, after disappointing U.S. employment data last week fueled fresh expectations for the central bank to add stimulus.
Meanwhile, Germany’s constitutional court confirmed that it will give its ruling on the euro zone’s bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism on Wednesday, following earlier reports suggesting that the decision may be delayed.
Separately, sentiment remained supported after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi unveiled last week details of a bond purchasing program aimed at stemming the debt crisis in the euro zone, dubbed Outright Monetary Transactions.
Apple was expected to be in the spotlight once again, one day before the highly anticipated release of its latest iPhone. Reuters reported earlier that sales of the new device could add between a quarter and a half percentage point to fourth quarter annualized growth in the U.S.
Software companies were also expected to be active, after Palo Alto Networks promised shareholders continued revenue growth after it beat fourth-quarter revenue and earnings estimates, thanks to rising demand for protection against network security attacks.
Despite the announcement, shares in the company plummeted 9.60% in after-hour trade.
Elsewhere, Zynga saw shares drop 0.71% in late trading, after the group’s chief marketing officer resigned on Monday, becoming the latest senior executive to leave the struggling company behind a number of Facebook games such as Farmville.
Also in company news, the board of General Growth Properties on Monday rejected activist investor Bill Ackman's call for the company to consider selling itself, saying its shareholders would be best served by the company sticking to its current business plan. The news sent shares in General Growth down 3.54% after hours.
In the pharmaceutical sector, shares in Navidea dove 35.33% in late trading, after the company said that the Food and Drug Administration did not approve its Lymphoseek injectable chemical because of issues with third-party contract manufacturers.
On the upside, Green Mountain was expected to post more gains, after surging over 9% on Tuesday, as Lavazza said in a filing after market close that it increased its stake in the American coffee business to 6.8%
For the latest updates on the stock market, PRESS CTR + D or visit Stock Market Today For the latest updates PRESS CTR + D or visit Stock Market news Today
No comments:
Post a Comment