US Stock Futures Point To Strong Opening Today

Stock futures pointed to a stronger open today, after Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) posted better-than-expected earnings. Futures for the S&P 500 moved up 3.4 points to 1196.5, while those for the Nasdaq added 10.25 points. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 32 points.

Investors are awaiting data releases on consumer prices and retail sales for March today. The Beige Book of regional economic conditions and the testimony by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke are also scheduled for today.

Stocks that will be in focus are INTC, which advanced 4% in pre-market trade, after the world's leading microchip maker reported late yesterday night that its quarterly profits had nearly quadrupled on revenue growth of 44%. JPM has also risen by 3.07% in pre-market trading, after the company announced that its quarterly profits had jumped to $3.3 billion from $2.1 billion.

Overseas, the day was mixed for Asian markets, as Tokyo and South Korea gained but the Shanghai and Hong Kong markets fell. Meanwhile, European stocks rose, helped by technology firms that were driven by results from Intel and ASML Holding (NASDAQ: ASML). While the FTSE in London gained 0.6%, the DAX in Frankfurt moved up 0.7%.

Read more from Benzinga's Markets.