US Stock Futures Down Ahead Of Earnings

Pre-open movers US stock futures fell in early pre-market trade, ahead of earnings from some major companies. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 37 points to 16,318.00, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index futures declined 1.80 points to 1,836.60. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index fell 0.25 points to 3,609.25. A Peek Into Global Markets European markets were mostly higher today, with the Spanish Ibex Index dropping 0.73%, London's FTSE 100 index dropping 0.10% and STOXX Europe 600 Index falling 0.07%. German DAX 30 index declined 0.25% and French CAC 40 Index fell 0.23%. The UK's unemployment rate declined to 7.1% in the three months to November. Asian markets ended higher today. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rose 0.16%, China's Shanghai Composite gained 2.16%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.21% and India's BSE Sensex gained 0.41%. Broker Recommendation Analysts at Credit Suisse upgraded Informatica INFA from “neutral” to “outperform.” The target price for Informatica has been raised from $41 to $52. Informatica's shares closed at $42.55 yesterday. Breaking news

• AMAG Pharmaceuticals AMAG today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a complete response letter for the supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for Feraheme® (ferumoxytol) injection for intravenous (IV) use. To read the full news, click here.
• Fosun Group and Prudential Financial PRU, which does business as Pramerica in selected countries outside the U.S., announced today an expansion of their strategic relationship, building on their existing joint venture partnerships in life insurance and investment management, and focusing on key areas of growth in China. To read the full news, click here.
• Marriott International MAR and South Africa's Protea Hospitality Holdings announced today that they have signed definitive agreements for the purchase by Marriott of Protea's three brands and management company. To read the full news, click here.
• Toll Brothers TOL in a joint venture with GTIS Partners, a real estate private equity firm headquartered in New York City with offices in Los Angeles and São Paulo, today announced the acquisition of Sienna South, the last major undeveloped parcel of Sienna Plantation, one of Houston's most successful master planned communities. To read the full news, click here.