Futures on major U.S. stock indices remained range-bound ahead of key new home sales data and corporate results. Related Articles Gold bounces higher on physical buying; equities gain (4:41 am) Asian shares and euro rise after stress tests (2:52 am) Gold climbs back on bargain hunting (2:45 am) Related Topics Gold Dow Jones FTSE Hang Seng Index Crude Oil Copper Mexico Futures on the S&P 500 are down 0.17 percent, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average are down 0.14 percent and Nasdaq100 futures are down 0.05 percent. Investors are cautious ahead of key new home sales data from the Commerce Department. The economists had forecast new home sales to be 310,000, the second lowest since data began in 1963, for June against 300,000 in the previous month. Any data that is weaker than expected will weigh on market sentiments. Sales of new houses, which measures the annualized number of new residential buildings that were sold during the previous month, plunged 32.7 percent to 300,000 unit annual rate, the lowest level since the series started in 1963, in May following the expiration of the credit after reaching an almost two-year high the prior month. EMAIL PRINT TEXT SIZE: SHARE RATE: String of companies including Fmc Technologies and Roper are due to report their earnings before the bell. While Fluor, Leqq Mason, Masco and Plum Creek Timber will report results after the market closes. On Friday, US stocks rallied in the afternoon, boosted by strong profit results from Ford Motor, Verizon Communications and American Express and a report showing that the vast majority of European banks passed their stress tests. Before market opens: • European shares are trading in tight range on Monday as gains from banks and insurance companies were offset by losses from drug makers and food producers. Banking shares gained as investors got their first chance to react to the outcome of the bank stress tests. • After European markets closed Friday, a report from the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS) showed that only seven of 91 banks would fail to survive another serious financial crisis. • European markets are currently trading higher on Monday with FTSE 100 trading down by 6.23 points, DAX30 trading down by 10.92 points and CAC 40 trading up by 0.57 points. • BP shares were higher on reports that the CEO, Tony Hayward, is to be replaced by Gulf of Mexico clean-up chief Bob Dudley. • The euro declined 0.06 percent to 1.2902 against the dollar and the yen advanced 0.39 percent against the greenback. • Crude oil futures declined 0.52 percent and copper futures fell 0.11 percent. In precious metal sector, gold futures advanced 0.26 percent and silver futures advanced 0.33 percent. During Asian Market hours: • Asian stock markets mostly higher on Monday following reassurance in Europe's banking stress tests and a strong performance on Wall Street overnight. Chinese Shanghai Composite gained 0.65 percent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index advanced 0.12 percent. • Japanese stocks advanced for the second session, led by gains from exporters due to weaker yen against euro and dollar. The benchmark index gained 0.77 percent or 72.70 points to 9,503.66.

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