US Stock Futures Edge Higher Ahead Of Retail Sales, Jobless Claims Data

Pre-open movers US stock futures traded higher in early pre-market trade. Data on weekly jobless claims, retail sales for November and import prices for November will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET. Data on business inventories for October will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 24 points to 17,566.00, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 3.20 points to 2,029.60. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index gained 0.25 points to 4,227.25. A Peek Into Global Markets European markets were mostly lower today, with the Spanish Ibex Index falling 0.07%, STOXX Europe 600 Index dropping 0.41%. German DAX 30 index climbed 0.19%, French CAC 40 Index slipped 0.12% and London's FTSE 100 Index fell 0.63%. In Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei Stock Average fell 0.89%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index tumbled 0.90%, China's Shanghai Composite Index declined 0.49% and India's Sensex slipped 0.82%. Broker Recommendation Analysts at Credit Suisse downgraded United Therapeutics UTHR from Neutral to Underperform. The price target for United Therapeutics has been raised from $100 to $120. United Therapeutics' shares fell 2.51% to close at $131.42 yesterday. Breaking news

• Lululemon Athletica LULU reported better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter earnings. However, the company issued a weak forecast. To read the full news, click here.
• Vical VICL today announced the completion of enrollment in a Phase 1/2 trial of its Vaxfectin^®-formulated therapeutic vaccine for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), the predominant cause of recurrent genital herpes. To read the full news, click here.
• Nexstar Broadcasting Group NXST announced Wednesday, that it reached a new distribution agreement with DISH Network DISH, allowing the satellite television provider the right to continue to air Nexstar's highly rated programming. To read the full news, click here.
• Walgreen Company WAG announced Wednesday that Greg Wasson, president and chief executive officer, has informed the company's board of directors that he will retire shortly after the close of the second step of the Alliance Boots transaction, on which shareholders are scheduled to vote on December 29, 2014. To read the full news, click here.