Easing Tension in Korea Pushes US Stock Futures Up

US stock futures are higher this morning as tensions eased on the Korean Peninsula. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 32 points to 11,436.00, while those for the S&P 500 index moved up 3.90 points to 1,245.10. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index gained 5 points to 2,225.25. US stocks closed mixed yesterday, with the Dow dropping 13.78 points, the S&P 500 index gaining 3.17 points and the Nasdaq Composite index rising 6.59 points. No major economic data are due for release today. Nike Inc NKE is expected to report its earnings at $0.88 per share on revenue of $4.81 billion in the second quarter. Red Hat Inc RHT is all set to report its quarterly results after the closing bell. Shares of Adobe Systems Incorporated ADBE gained about 2.8% in pre-market trading as the company reported its FQ4 profit at $0.53 per share, versus a loss of $0.06 per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding one-time items, Adobe reported earnings at $0.56 per share. The company's revenue increased 33% y/y to $1 billion. However, analysts were expecting earnings at $0.52 per share on revenue of $988 million. Jabil Circuit Inc JBL posted its FQ1 earnings at $0.49 per share, compared with a loss of $0.13 per share. Excluding one-time items, Jabil reported earnings at $0.61 per share. The company's revenue came in at $4.1 billion. However, analysts were expecting earnings at $0.55 per share on $3.97 billion in revenue. Royal DSM NV announced its plans to purchase Martek Biosciences Corp MATK for $1.09 billion, or $31.50 per share in cash, representing a 35% premium to Martek's closing price on December 20. Asian markets ended in the positive territory, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average adding 1.51%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 moving up 0.69% and China's Shanghai Composite gaining 1.80%. China's Vice Premier Wang Qishan said China “has taken steps to help some EU members counter the sovereign-debt crisis.” Positive sentiment ruled the European markets today. While STOXX Europe 600 Index has advanced 0.53%, London's FTSE 100 Index moved up 0.71%. Moody's Investors Service put the “A1” government-bond ratings of Portugal A1 under review for a possible downgrade. February futures for light crude gained $0.13 to $89.50 per barrel, while gold futures for February gained $1.10 to $1,387.20 an ounce. Read more from Benzinga's Markets.