A Peek Into The Market Before The Trading Starts

Pre-open movers US stock futures are higher this morning, after upbeat results from Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL). Investors are awaiting earnings reports from several companies and data on jobless claims. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 67 points to 12,463.00 and futures on the S&P 500 stock index rose 8.50 points to 1,336.80. Nasdaq 100 futures surged 26.50 points to 2,381.50. A Peek Into Global Markets Positive sentiment ruled the European markets today. While STOXX Europe 600 Index has gained 0.59%, London's FTSE 100 Index moved up 0.29%. Asian markets ended higher, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average gaining 0.82%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rising 1.12% and China's Shanghai Composite gaining 0.65%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.01%.

Broker Recommendation Analysts at Ticonderoga upgraded Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) from “neutral” to “buy.” The target price for SCHW is set to $22.

SCHW shares gained 0.43% to $18.67 in after-hours trading.

Breaking news

• Shares of General Electric Co (NYSE: GE) gained in pre-market trading after the company reported upbeat Q1 earnings and lifted its quarterly dividend. To read the full news, click here.
• EI DuPont de Nemours & Co (NYSE: DD) reported its Q1 earnings at $1.52 per share, up from $1.24 per share, in the year-ago period. To read the full news, click here.
• Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) is still in the process of evaluating whether to distribute the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet - made by Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) - through its retail channels. To read the full news, click here.
• Schlumberger Ltd (NYSE: SLB) reported 40% rise in its Q1 net income. To read the full news, click here.

Read more from Benzinga's Markets.