U.S. Stocks, Gold Futures Up

U.S. stock futures are slightly higher this morning. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 17 points to 12,553.00 and S&P 500 index futures rose 3.40 points to 1,326.00. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 7.75 points to 2,544.00.
 
U.S. stocks closed mixed on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.27% to 12,529.75, the S&P 500 index gaining 0.14% to 1,320.68 and the Nasdaq 100 index dropping 0.38% to 2,839.38.
 
The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment reading for May will be released at 9:55 a.m. ET.
 
JDA Software Group Inc (NASDAQ: JDAS) is projected to post its Q1 EPS at $0.57 on revenue of $171.24 million. Mentor Graphics Corp (NASDAQ: MENT) is expected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.25 per share on revenue of $254.95 million.
 
Semtech Corp (NASDAQ: SMTC) reported a weaker-than-expected first-quarter profit.
 
VeriFone Systems Inc (NYSE: PAY) reported a decline in its net income in the fiscal second quarter and issued a weak outlook for the current period.
 
Infoblox Inc (NYSE: BLOX) posted its Q3 earnings at $0.05 per share on revenue of $43 million. However, analysts were expecting earnings of $0.01 per share on sales of $41 million. The company also issued upbeat forecast for the fourth quarter.
 
European markets were higher today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index rose 0.08%, London's FTSE 100 Index dropped 0.11%, French CAC 40 index rose 0.28% and German DAX 30 index climbed 0.80%.
 
Asian markets ended mostly lower, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rising 0.20%, Chinese Shanghai Composite declining 0.74% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropping 0.61%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.25% and India's Sensex fell 0.03%.
 
Nymex crude-oil futures gained $0.46 to $91.12 a barrel in electronic trade. However, gold futures rose $4.60 to $1,562.10 an ounce.
 
The dollar index (DXY) declined 0.29% to 82.02, versus 82.342 in North American trade late Thursday.
 
The euro gained 0.43% against the dollar to trade at $1.2588, versus $1.2539. The U.S. dollar fell 0.07% versus the Japanese yen to trade at ¥79.54, versus ¥79.63 on Thursday.

By Monica Gerson