U.S. equity indexes are higher ahead of housing starts and jobless claims data today at 8:30 a.m. ET.
S&P 500 futures are higher by 2.50 points, or 0.18 percent, to 1406 at the time of this writing. Nasdaq 100 futures are up 4.50 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2743.
European indexes are mixed, with the German DAX gaining 0.13 percent but the U.K. FTSE 100 off 0.13 percent. Spain earlier agreed to receive an emergency injection of capital, avoiding European Central Bank restrictions against bank borrowing.
Despite the developments in Spain, the euro/dollar remains in negative territory by 0.04 percent to 1.2288. The U.S. Dollar Index is higher by 0.1 percent to 82.79 but well off its 82.96 high.
Asian indexes closed mixed after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao hinted at more stimulus. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.45 percent, but Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.88 percent.
Commodity markets are mixed to unchanged, with front-month crude contracts higher by 0.07 percent to 94.39. Spot gold is higher by 0.04 percent to 1607.20, while copper futures are down 0.09 percent to 3.3465.
In stock-specific news, Wal-Mart is down more than 3 percent to $71.97 after missing revenue estimates this morning.
Cisco is up 6 percent to $18.379 after beating earnings and revenue forecasts after the close yesterday.
Facebook is lower by about 2 percent to $20.80 before a lock-up period ends today for some 271 million shares held by insiders.
Trading News
Related Stories
SPX
Futures are lower as caution reigns
May 24, 2013
S&P 500 futures are down modestly after losses of half a percent to a full percentage point in Europe. Asian markets were mixed overnight, though Shanghai and Tokyo rebounded from yesterday's declines.
SPX
Global selloff hits equity indexes
May 23, 2013
S&P 500 futures are down almost 1 percent, while European indexes are lower by about 2 percent. The real declines came in Asia, where Japan's Nikkei plunged 7 percent and Hong Kong shed 2.5 percent.
SPX
Stocks keep climbing before Bernanke
May 22, 2013
S&P 500 futures are up about one-tenth of a percent ahead of the Fed chairman's appearance before Congress. Most European indexes are modestly lower but have been climbing in the last hour.
SPX
Bernanke fears weigh on sentiment
May 21, 2013
Now that employment, housing, and the global economy have improved, investors are growing nervous that the central bank will become less accommodative.
SPX
Corporate earnings lead the calendar
May 21, 2013
Corporate earnings are the main item on today's agenda as retailers Home Depot, Best Buy, Saks, and TJX report quarterly results.
