US Stock Futures Signal A Strong Start

US stock futures jumped up today, driven by impressive earnings reported by HSBC Holdings and BNP Paribas. While futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 126 points to 10,543, those on the S&P 500 added 15.40 points to 1,114. Meanwhile, Nasdaq 100 futures gained 21.25 points to 1884. Investors today are awaiting the release of the ISM manufacturing gauge for the month of July. The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, is also scheduled to speak on the economy. On the corporate front, the companies that will hog the limelight today are Humana Inc. HUM, NRG Energy Inc. NRG, Loews Corp L and Research in Motion Ltd. RIMM. While NRG reported a drop in its second-quarter net profit to $211 million, HUM said its second-quarter net income rose to $2.00 a share, from $1.67 a share. Banking giant HSBC Holdings PLC HBC said its net profit for the first half more than doubled to $6.76 billion. HBC profited as its loan impairments and other provisions fell to the lowest lows since the start of the financial crisis. Read more from Benzinga's Markets.