A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

Pre-open movers US stock futures are higher this morning, as investors are awaiting jobless claims data. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 47 points to 14,662.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 6.50 points to 1,580.50. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 13 points to 2,837.00. A Peek Into Global Markets European markets were higher today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index rose 0.53%, London's FTSE 100 Index gained 0.17%, French CAC 40 Index rose 0.21% and German DAX 30 index rose 0.76%. Asian markets ended higher, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average surging 0.60% and China's Shanghai Composite dropping 0.86%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 0.98% and India's Sensex rose 1.19%. Broker Recommendation Analysts at Nomura upgraded F5 Networks FFIV from “neutral” to “buy.” The target price for F5 Networks has been raised from $85 to $88. F5 Networks shares gained 3.51% to $74.89 in pre-market trading. Breaking news

• GAIN Capital Holdings GCAP today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Global Futures & Forex, LTD (GFT), a global provider of retail forex and derivatives trading with offices in London, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney and Grand Rapids, Michigan. To read the full news, click here.
• Genzyme, a Sanofi company SNY, announced today positive top-line results from the TOPIC trial for AUBAGIO (teriflunomide). To read the full news, click here.
• Radware RDWR today announced that its board of directors has authorized a share repurchase plan allowing the repurchase of up to $40 million of ordinary shares. To read the full news, click here.
• Bank of China BACHF reported an 8.2% rise in its first-quarter net profit. To read the full news, click here.