Investing.com – U.S. stock futures pointed to a modestly lower open on Wednesday, as investors digested a slew of mixed corporate earnings results and as shares in casino operator Las Vegas Sands plunged ahead of the open.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed a drop of 0.2%, the S&P 500 futures fell 0.1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a decline of 0.22%.
Stock index futures added to losses after data showed that U.S. non-farm private employment rose less-than-expected in April, increasing by 179K. Analysts had expected an increase of 200K.
Casino and hotel operator Las Vegas Sands saw shares plunge 7.2% in pre-market trade after it reported first quarter earnings that fell short of market expectations. Casino revenue in the quarter tumbled 46.5% from a year earlier.
First Solar, the world’s largest manufacturer of thin-film solar modules slumped 7.1% after reporting lower-than-expected first quarter earnings, as competition from Chinese manufacturers increased and prices declined in Europe, its largest market.
Online giant AOL saw shares drop 1.5% after it said first quarter profit plummeted 86% to USD4.7 million, as results were weighed by the acquisitions of Huffington Post and Goviral during the quarter. Revenue fell 17% to USD551.4 million, with declines in both advertising and subscription.
On the upside, shares in Varian Semiconductor soared 51.3% after it agreed to be acquired by Applied Materials for approximately USD4.9 billion.
Shares in Ralcorp Holdings jumped 6.5% after ConAgra Foods raised its offer for the company by 5% to USD4.9 billion.
Other stocks in focus included media giant News Corp, network-analysis company JDS Uniphase and video game maker Electronic Arts, which were all expected to release earnings results later in the day.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets declined as commodity-linked shares led losses. The EURO STOXX 50 shed 0.35%, France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.25%, Germany's DAX fell 0.3%, while Britain's FTSE 100 slumped 0.95%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed 1.3% lower as shares in the financial and commodity sectors led markets lower amid concern over further monetary tightening by China. Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index was closed for a public holiday.
Later in the day, the U.S. Institute for Supply Management was to publish its non-manufacturing PMI.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed a drop of 0.2%, the S&P 500 futures fell 0.1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a decline of 0.22%.
Stock index futures added to losses after data showed that U.S. non-farm private employment rose less-than-expected in April, increasing by 179K. Analysts had expected an increase of 200K.
Casino and hotel operator Las Vegas Sands saw shares plunge 7.2% in pre-market trade after it reported first quarter earnings that fell short of market expectations. Casino revenue in the quarter tumbled 46.5% from a year earlier.
First Solar, the world’s largest manufacturer of thin-film solar modules slumped 7.1% after reporting lower-than-expected first quarter earnings, as competition from Chinese manufacturers increased and prices declined in Europe, its largest market.
Online giant AOL saw shares drop 1.5% after it said first quarter profit plummeted 86% to USD4.7 million, as results were weighed by the acquisitions of Huffington Post and Goviral during the quarter. Revenue fell 17% to USD551.4 million, with declines in both advertising and subscription.
On the upside, shares in Varian Semiconductor soared 51.3% after it agreed to be acquired by Applied Materials for approximately USD4.9 billion.
Shares in Ralcorp Holdings jumped 6.5% after ConAgra Foods raised its offer for the company by 5% to USD4.9 billion.
Other stocks in focus included media giant News Corp, network-analysis company JDS Uniphase and video game maker Electronic Arts, which were all expected to release earnings results later in the day.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets declined as commodity-linked shares led losses. The EURO STOXX 50 shed 0.35%, France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.25%, Germany's DAX fell 0.3%, while Britain's FTSE 100 slumped 0.95%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed 1.3% lower as shares in the financial and commodity sectors led markets lower amid concern over further monetary tightening by China. Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index was closed for a public holiday.
Later in the day, the U.S. Institute for Supply Management was to publish its non-manufacturing PMI.