US Stock Index Futures Rise On Earnings Optimism, Easing Sovereign Debt Concerns

US stock index futures rose today as concerns surrounding sovereign debt eased after Eurozone finance ministers approved a massive emergency aid amounting to €30 billion for Greece. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 18 points to 10971, while those on the S&P 500 moved up half a point to 1193.1. Meanwhile, Nasdaq 100 futures added 1.75 points to 1993.75.

Investors are likely to focus primarily on the earnings season from today, which kicks off with Alcoa (NYSE: AA). AA is set to announce its quarterly results after the market closes for trading today. Another data that will draw investor attention today is economic data from China. The country announced its first monthly trade deficit in six years during March, as consumers surged on imports and commodities prices rose. Another stock that may be in focus today is Palm (NASDAQ: PALM), which according to Bloomberg News has put itself for sale and is seeking bids as early as this week.

Markets in Asia ended mixed today, with Japanese exporters getting a boost from a weaker yen. However, Thai stocks fell sharply as trading was disrupted by violence between antigovernment protesters and the military in Bangkok, dragging down Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index by 0.3%. While Japan's Nikkei added 0.4% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 moved up 0.7%, South Korea's Kospi lost 0.8% and China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.5%.

Read more from Benzinga's Markets.