1 of 2. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, 1 may 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermidLONDON | Wed Feb 20, 2013 5: 47 am EST
London (Reuters)-the United States stock index futures pointed to a slightly firmer opening on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S & P 500 & Dow Jones 0.1 percent higher at 0936 GMT, while those for the Nasdaq 100 added 0.2 percent.
United States producer prices, housing starts and building permits for January are all due at 1330 GMT, with data expected to show a slight acceleration in factory price pressures alongside the ongoing recovery in the housing market.
The market focus, however, is likely to be the minutes of the Federal open market Committee United States of January meeting due at 1900 GMT, which will be scanned for clues as to how long the monetary policy is likely to remain ultra flexible.
Earnings season continues with Devon Energy CORP., Fluor Corp. and Nûfijld survey among those due to report.
With the season now three quarters of the way through, 28 percent of the S P 500 companies & missed forecasts for full-year profit, with 41 percent of revenue nedostigane, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine data.
Dell Inc (DELL.O): the world's no. 3 maker of personal computers, reported a 31 percent drop in profit, hurt by shrinking consumer business, as investors weigh the founder Michael Dell offer to buy the company.
Search Media Inc (Dmd.N): the company said it was exploring separating its business media from your domain service name, identifying who sent its shares up almost 20% after hours trading.
Boeing (BA.N): the aircraft maker has found a way to fix battery problems with its 787 Dreamliner jets grounded, which includes increasing the distance between cells, a source familiar with the plans of the United States, the company said Thursday.
Life technologies (life.O): $ 11 .2billion-plus sale of life Technologies Corp is looking unlikely discrepancy in price expectations with the company has left potential buyer Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO.N) skeptical a deal as buyout firms offer came up short, people familiar with the matter said this week.
Herbalife (HLF.N): diet supplements the company raised earnings forecast for 2013 him late Tuesday.
Heinz (HNZ.N): the FBI is looking into possible insider trading in options on the ketchup Maker before the deal, its blockbuster last week to be acquired by Warren Buffett and Brazil at 3 G Capital.
Sina Corp (SINA.O): the operator of China's largest online portal Posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter revenues and profit amid concerns about slowing growth of the Chinese online advertising.
Milennial media (mm.N): the mobile advertising company fourth quarter sales missed Wall Street expectations, and the company forecast for first quarter earnings below analyst estimates, sending its shares down as much as 33 percent after the Bell.
Marriott International (Mar.N): hotel operator, reported better than expected quarterly results, assisted by the rise in international travel and higher prices and said that it expected its revenue to increase room further in 2013.
Nabors industries (NBR.N): the owner of the world's largest onshore drilling rig fleet, reported a 44 percent jump in profit, but revenue fell as large customers reduced spending against the backdrop of the worst delays in gas-directed drilling in more than a decade.
General Services, Inc. (TSS.N): payment processor said it will buy a prepaid debit card provider NetSpend Holdings Inc. (NTSP.O) for about $ 1.4 billion in cash to expand its presence in the market of prepaid cards and target new customers.
European shares traded flat Wednesday, consolidating after sharp gains in the previous session, held back by weak earnings newsflow and as traders cited account a few minutes ago to the Federal Reserve of the United States January policy meeting. .EU
Dow Jones .DJI received 53.91 points, or 0.39 percent on Tuesday to 14, 035.67 points, only 0.9% of its record. The standard poor's 500 index & .SPX closed up 0.73 percent at 1, while the Nasdaq Composite 530.94 Index .IXIC added or 0.68 percent to 3, 213.59.
(Reporting by Toni Vorobyova; editing by Susan Fenton)
