Wall Street to open up as Caterpillar offsets Europe
By Angela Moon
Caterpillar Inc <CAT.N> jumped 4.9 percent to $91.64 in premarket trade after the heavy equipment maker reported a quarterly profit that topped estimates on record revenues.
Futures seesawed between modest gains and losses in the early morning as policymakers deferred final decisions on a strategy to fight the region's sovereign debt crisis. They were near agreement on bank recapitalization and on how to leverage a rescue fund to try to stop bond market contagion.
The S&P 500 ended Friday with a third straight week of gains on optimism a deal could be reached at the summit.
"There is still a lot of hope that a solution out of Europe this time will last, and that is sending the market higher to break above trading ranges," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer at Solaris Asset Management in Bedford Hills, New York. He added that the next support on the S&P would be around 1,270.
"But one should be cautious and skeptical here, especially with the high volatility in the market, because we don't have any guarantee that even with the solution, the debt situation will get better," Ghriskey said.
Recent gains have pushed the S&P 500 to the top of its trading range between 1,230 and 1,250, where it has struggled to advance. Many investors are looking for progress in Europe before earnings can push equities much higher. But light volume suggests investors aren't entirely convinced of the move.
S&P 500 futures rose 2.7 point and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 45 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures added 9 points.
Diversified manufacturer Eaton Corp <ETN.N> reported earnings that met Wall Street estimates despite a loss on commodity hedge contracts. The stock was down 0.4 percent at $42.10.
Google Inc <GOOG.O> has spoken to at least two private equity firms about help in financing a deal to buy Yahoo Inc's <YHOO.O> core business, the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend, citing a source.
Netflix Inc <NFLX.O> said it will launch a subscription service in the United Kingdom and Ireland in early 2012.
(Reporting by Angela Moon; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)