Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed to a moderately lower open on Wednesday, as investors eyed the release of U.S. manufacturing data, while sentiment remained broadly supported by news of a U.S. budget deal.
Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 1.24% jump, S&P 500 futures signaled a 1.52% gain, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 1.58% surge.
U.S. lawmakers passed a compromise bill on Tuesday to avoid the fiscal cliff, blocking a series of looming tax increases and spending cuts that could have pushed the U.S. economy back into a recession.
U.S. President Barack Obama hailed the deal as "just one step in the broader effort to strengthen the economy".
The U.S. president was speaking after the House of Representatives passed a Senate-backed bill by 257 votes to 167.
Tech stocks were expected to be active after Samsung Electronics lost a bid to keep sales data of some of its products sealed in a U.S. patent dispute with Apple, sending shares in the iPhone maker up 2.36% in pre-market trade.
A U.S. judge denied Samsung's request to keep the sales figures secret while the company appeals an earlier sealing order.
The financial sector was also likely to be in focus, following a broad rally in European lenders. Bank of America saw shares surge 2.33% in early trading, while Citigroup advanced 2.05%.
Elsewhere, Facebook rallied 2.59% pre-market after BMO Capital, known for bearish comments on the social-networking company, upgraded the stock to "buy" from "sell" on Tuesday.
In company news, Duff & Phelps was slated to remain in the spotlight as shares soared over 19% on Tuesday after the investment-banking company agreed to be bought by private-equity firm Carlyle Group for about USD665 million.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were sharply higher. The EURO STOXX 50 surged 3.58%, France's CAC 40 rallied 2.16%, Germany's DAX advanced 2.20%, while Britain's FTSE 100 jumped 2.16%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index surged 2.89%, while Japan's Nikkei 225 Index was closed for a national holiday.
Later in the day, the Institute of Supply Management was to produce a report on manufacturing growth in the U.S.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
