Morning Wire -- US Stock-Index Futures Lower

Stock-index futures are wobbling around the flat mark as equity markets return after a day off yesterday. Volume is expected to be light and the markets are waiting to hear the Case-Shiller report on housing prices and the consumer confidence index number from the Conference Board. The Case-Shiller index is expected to show a price decline of about -0.2%, and the consumer confidence number is expected to rise from 56 to 58.1. Equities might be a little weaker today, given the latest report on the market for US Treasuries which is at its highest point in more than 20 years. US 10-year Treasuries returned more than 25% this year, compared with less than 1% for the S&P 500 (so far).

At about 7:30 a.m. ET, Germany’s DAX is up 0.19% at 5,890.30 and France’s CAC 40 is up 0.27%, at 3,110.35. In London, the FTSE 100 is up 1.02%, at 5,512.70.

In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index is up 1.37%, at 18,629.20. The Nikkei index is down -0.46%, at 8,440.56, and the Shanghai index is down -1.09%, at 2,166.21.

Dow futures are down -0.17%, at 12,196.00. The Nasdaq 100 is down -0.13%, at 2,275.50 and the S&P is down -0/24%, at 1,257.30.

In the currency markets, the US dollar is weaker against the euro, the British pound, and the Japanese yen. The US dollar index is down about -0.7%.

In commodities, both WTI and Brent crude are higher this morning, with WTI at $99.70/barrel and Brent at $108.19/barrel. Gold is down about -0.7%, at $1,595.70.

Paul Ausick