US Stock Futures Slightly Higher Ahead Of Earnings

US stock futures are slightly higher this morning. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 8 points to 14,991.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 0.30 points to 1,620.90. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 1.75 points to 2,948.25. US stocks closed higher on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average surging 0.58% to 15,056.20, the S&P 500 index gaining 0.52% to 1,625.96 and the Nasdaq 100 index rising 0.11% to 3,396.63. The MBA purchase applications index will be released at 7:00 a.m. ET, while the EIA weekly report on petroleum inventories will be released at 10:30 a.m. ET. Whole Foods Market WFM reported upbeat second-quarter results and announced a 2-for-1 stock split. McKesson MCK reported a 50% drop in its quarterly profit. AOL AOL is expected to report its Q1 earnings at $0.35 per share on revenue of $537.15 million. Huntington Ingalls Industries HII is estimated to report its Q1 earnings at $0.86 per share on revenue of $1.61 billion. The Wendy's Company WEN is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $0.03 per share on revenue of $613.65 million. Liberty Interactive LINTA is expected to report its Q1 earnings at $0.19 per share on revenue of $2.38 billion. News Corp NWSA is estimated to post its Q3 earnings at $0.36 per share on revenue of $9.14 billion. Tim Hortons THI is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $0.62 per share on revenue of $755.13 million. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters GMCR is projected to post its Q2 earnings at $0.73 per share on revenue of $1.02 billion. McDermott International MDR is estimated to post its Q1 earnings at $0.15 per share on revenue of $748.58 million. Rackspace Hosting RAX is expected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.20 per share on revenue of $367.20 million. Tesla Motors TSLA is projected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $492.02 million. Groupon GRPN is estimated to post its Q1 earnings at $0.03 per share on revenue of $588.92 million. Transocean RIG is projected to post its Q1 earnings at $1.00 per share on revenue of $2.36 billion. European markets were higher today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index rose 0.23%, London's FTSE 100 index gained 0.16%, French CAC 40 Index gained 0.64% and German DAX 30 index rose 0.22%. Asian markets ended higher, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average jumping 0.74%, China's Shanghai Composite surging 0.48% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index gaining 1.08%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.86% and India's Sensex gained 0.66%.