Stock Futures On The Retreat

Stock Futures On The Retreat
News

Stock Futures On The Retreat

U.S. stock futures were drifting lower Friday with the markets uninspired by the weakness in European equities, which saw declines amid the preoccupation with Spain’s soaring borrowing costs.

Futures were falling even as technology shares held momentum in premarket trading following a handful of bottom-line beats.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were shedding 64 points, or 70.36 points below fair value, at 12,816. Futures for the S&P 500 were behind by 8.8 points or 8.61 points below fair value, at 1363, and futures for the Nasdaq 100 were dipping 8.25 points, or 5.71 points below fair value, at 2644.

The selloff in European markets was accelerating after the government of the Spanish region of Valencia requested its own bailout following the approval by eurozone finance ministers of the bailout terms for Spain’s banks, which involves a package valued at up to €100 billion ($122 billion).

The approval of the deal didn’t calm investors’ nerves over the fate of the eurozone, with Spanish bond yields again hitting levels considered unsustainable and the 10-year remaining above 7%. Demand at a Spanish bond auction Thursday was lackluster.

The FTSE in London was slipping 0.82% and the DAX in Germany was dipping by 1.1%

“The markets still appear to be in their upward trading bands; however at the moment we’re sitting right on levels of key resistance for both the Dow and Nasdaq,” said Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist at Banyan Partners. “Last night the S&P 500 closed just above its key resistance level which was a slight positive. However it looks as though the line will be breached to the downside at the open this morning. Despite the fact that the markets appear as though they’ll open lower today, the upward sloping trend lines remain in tact.”

The major U.S. equity averages finished with mild gains Thursday up as an IBM (IBM)-led rally in technology offset a weak batch of economic data.

IBM was the standout performer on the blue-chip with a gain of nearly 4% to $195.34 after Big Blue eased past Wall Street’s expectations for its latest quarter and lifted its earnings outlook.

After the markets closed Thursday, Google (GOOG), the Internet search giant, reported second-quarter non-GAAP earnings of $3.35 billion, or $10.12 a share, on revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs of $8.36 billion. Analysts were looking for a profit of $10.04 a share on revenue of $8.41 billion. Shares were rising more than 2.5% in premarket trading.

Microsoft (MSFT) posted Thursday a non-GAAP quarterly profit of $6.93 billion, or 73 cents a share, for its fiscal fourth quarter on revenue of $18.06 billion. Analysts were looking for earnings of 62 cents a share on revenue of $18.13 billion.

Microsoft saw strong growth in its server and tools business in the quarter.

Shares were up 1.81%.

SanDisk (SNDK), the flash memory specialist, on Thursday reported non-GAAP earnings of $51 million, or 21 cents a share, for the second quarter on revenue totaling $1.03 billion.

The performance topped the average estimate of analysts for a profit of 18 cents a share on revenue of $1.02 billion.

Shares were surging more than 12.5%.

General Electric (GE) on Friday reported second-quarter operating earnings of $4 billion, or 38 cents a share, beating the consensus estimate of a 37-cent profit.

GE’s second-quarter revenue totaled $36.5 billion, missing the consensus estimate of $36.8 billion.

Shares were down 0.3% in premarket trading.

September crude oil futures were declining by $1.30 at $91.67 a barrel. August gold futures were unchanged at $1,580.40 an ounce.

The benchmark 10-year Treasury was rising 7/32, pushing the yield down to 1.486%, while the greenback was inching higher by 0.3%, according to the dollar index.

There are no scheduled U.S. economic releases Friday.

The Street

More In News

World

Machete Attack Leaves Man Killed In Broad Daylight, Shocking London Neighborhood

Two men conducted a devastating machete attack in Woolwich, South East London, has left a man killed, and possibly decapitated. The attackers first crashed their vehicle into a man, who is believed to be a soldier, and then hopped out and swung away at the victim with knives (believed to be machetes). The attack happened [...]

World

Seattle Butcher Feeds Pigs Pot To Create Potent Pork

Love weed? Love bacon? Then you’re really going to love BB Ranch Meats in Seattle, the recent creators of pot-fed pork that is said to be out of this world. William von Schneidau, the butcher of the shop, said they’re constantly experimenting with the diets of the pigs they use. In the past they’ve used [...]

World

Watch This Railroad Bridge Engulfed In Flames Fall Like Dominoes

So this huge railroad trestle in Texas caught fire last Sunday and authorities decided to let it burn once they realized the fire was too dangerous to fight. Their decision allowed the bridge to transform into a huge set of flaming dominoes. The fire caused about $10 million worth of damages, but watching these massive [...]

Technology

The Creator Of The GIF Settles The Debate On How To Pronounce It

It’s finally settled. The greatest war of the 21st century has been resolved, as the creator of the GIF file has finally cleared the controversy on how to pronounce the word. Steve Wilhite, the creator of the graphics interchange format known as the GIF has finally answered the age-old question of how to pronounce the [...]

Technology

Twitter Gains Ground On Facebook With Teenage Users

New research shows Facebook is losing young users to Twitter, and there are a million and one theories as to why this is the case. Are teens trying to avoid their parents, who have joined Facebook and sent thousands of Farmville requests? Are teens just trying to switch it up, as we did when we [...]

Also On Elite

World

Entrepreneur Looking For Surrogate On Craigslist To Reel In Dates For Him

Craigslist is a hub for all sorts of bizarre ads. From used futons to men requesting women to defecate on them, you can, for better or worse, find anything and everything  imaginable on Craigslist. Case in point: this ad from a “successful entrepreneur” asks for an “online dating surrogate,” but the anonymous man isn’t looking [...]

Videos

Pusha T Releases Coinciding Video For ‘Numbers On The Boards’ (Video)

Pusha T hits up Paris in the video for his Don Cannon-produced song, “Numbers On The Boards.” The track is set to appear on Pusha’s forthcoming debut album My Name Is My Name, due July 16. The album features production from Kanye West, Pharrell, The-Dream, Knottz, Don Cannon, and Swizz Beatz, plus collaborations with Kanye, [...]

World

New Deadly Virus Infects Two In France, May Lead To Epidemic

A new deadly virus that affects the respiratory system and spreads from person-to-person has been detected in France, having infected at least two people. The French health ministry confirmed the second infection, prompting the World Health Organization to announce that the virus is most likely spread between people. “Of most concern… is the fact that [...]

Sports

Nate Robinson Crosses Up Kris Humphries Then Yacks It From Flu (Video)

Game-six was another thriller in the first round match up between the Nets and Bulls. And while we saw Brooklyn hold on for the 95-92 victory, to force a game-seven, it was none other than Bulls point guard Nate Robinson who stole the show… then yacked all over it. With just over seven minutes left [...]

Entertainment

Comedian Lisa Lampanelli Gets Gastric Bypass Surgery & Loses 106 Pounds

Lisa Lampanelli, the 51-year-old insult comic known as the “Queen of Mean” for her racy sense of humor, said in a recent interview that she has lost 106 pounds with the help of gastric sleeve surgery… gross. “I’ve lost a total of 106 pounds,” Lampanelli told In Touch. “I feel like I’ve reached the weight [...]