US Stock Futures Point To Higher Open

Pre-open movers US stock futures traded higher in early pre-market trade. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 180.5 points to 16,632.5, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 19.75 points to 1,985.50. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index surged 49.50 points to 4,348.00. A Peek Into Global Markets European markets were higher today, with the Spanish Ibex Index rising 2.47 percent, STOXX Europe 600 Index gaining 2.19 percent and German DAX 30 index surging 1.65 percent. French CAC 40 Index jumped 2.28 percent and London's FTSE 100 Index climbed 1.85 percent. In Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei Stock Average jumped 7.71 percent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index surged 4.10 percent, China's Composite Index Index gained 2.29 percent and India's BSE Sensex climbed 1.59 percent. Broker Recommendation Analysts at Bank of America upgraded Goldman Sachs Group Inc GS from Neutral to Buy. Goldman Sachs shares rose 3.07 percent to close at $185.91 yesterday. Breaking news

• HD Supply Holdings Inc HDS reported better-than-expected earnings for its second quarter on Wednesday. To read the full news, click here.
• Protalix BioTherapeutics Inc. PLX announced today positive interim data from the Company's phase I/II clinical trial of 1mg/kg of PRX-102 for the treatment of Fabry disease. To read the full news, click here.
• To meet consumers' changing expectations and preferences, McDonald's Corporation MCD today announced that it will fully transition to cage-free eggs for its nearly 16,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada over the next 10 years. To read the full news, click here.
• KKR & Co. L.P. KKR and Marshall Wace LLP and its affiliates, a leading global liquid alternatives manager, today announced a long-term strategic partnership. To read the full news, click here.