U.S. Stock Futures Climb on Upbeat German Data

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U.S. stock-index futures pushed higher Monday after a tepid week for Wall Street as traders eyed a strong report on German business sentiment.

Today's Markets

As of 7:30 a.m. ET, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 29 points, or 0.18%, to 16121, S&P 500 futures advanced 4.3 points, or 0.23%, to 1839 and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 9 points, or 0.25%, to 3674.

The markets tilted lower last week as traders parsed through generally weaker-than-expected economic data that were said be weighed down by bad weather across the U.S.

However, investors were greeted with good news out of Europe to kick the week off. A reading on German business confidence from the Ifo Institute came in at 111.3 in February from 110.6 the month prior. The data suggest Europe's biggest economy is "holding its own in a changeable global climate," the report said.

The U.S. data docket fairly light on the day. Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan will be speaking at a conference held by the National Association of Business Economists. His comments generally aren't market moving, but they could garner attention on a quiet day for economic data.

Elsewhere, Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) reportedly forged a deal with Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) to get direct access to the cable provider's IT systems to ensure customers of the streaming service get high-quality delivery. Netflix has benefited from intense popularity of its original programming with shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.

In commodities, U.S. crude oil futures fell 39 cents, or 0.38%, to $102.92 a barrel. Wholesale New York Harbor gasoline ticked lower by 0.34% to $2.824 a gallon. Gold climbed $9.50, or 0.72%, to $1,333 a troy ounce.