BLBG: U.S. Stock Futures Little Changed Before ISM
U.S. stock futures were little changed, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index heading for its biggest weekly gain in a year, before a report that may show manufacturing expanded at a slower pace in June.
Eastman Kodak Co. (EK), the 130-year-old camera company, slumped 13 percent as a final ruling on its patent-infringement case was postponed. Dendreon Corp. (DNDN), which makes the prostate cancer treatment Provenge, climbed 4.1 percent. Apollo Group Inc. (APOL) gained 1.1 percent after reporting earnings that beat estimates.
Futures on the S&P 500 expiring in September rose less than 0.1 percent to 1,316 at 7:40 a.m. in New York. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average expiring the same month advanced 23 points, or 0.2 percent, to 12,368.
“The markets are hanging on the data coming out today,” said Franz Wenzel, chief investment strategist at AXA Investment Managers in Paris. “We believe the markets will react optimistically, but the markets are still going to be volatile in July and August with attention on earnings that might have some negative surprises. We believe that the numbers will be positive, despite disappointing macroeconomic data in the second quarter.”
The S&P 500 climbed 1 percent yesterday, completing its biggest four-day gain since September, after Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou won a second vote to implement his 78-billion euro ($113 billion) austerity package of budget cuts, asset sales and tax hikes, qualifying the country to receive the next tranche of financial aid from the European Union. U.S. business activity expanded more than expected.
S&P 500 Performance
The S&P 500 added 4.1 percent in the four days through yesterday, heading for its biggest weekly advance since last July. The gauge lost 0.4 percent in the second quarter on weaker-than-expected economic data and concern that Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis would worsen.
A report today at 10 a.m. New York time may show that manufacturing expanded in June at a slower pace as shortages of parts and components from Japan prompted factories to limit production. The Institute for Supply Manangement’s manufacturing index fell to 52 last month, its lowest level since August 2009, according to the median estimate of 77 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Figures greater than 50 signal expansion.
Consumer Confidence
The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan’s final survey of consumer confidence, due at 9:55 a.m. New York time, will show a reading of 72, compared with a preliminary reading of 71.8, according to the median estimate of 57 economists in a Bloomberg survey.
Kodak slumped 13 percent to $3.10 in premarket trading after the U.S. International Trade Commission pushed back the final ruling in the photography company’s patent-infringement case against Apple Inc. and Research In Motion Ltd. until August. The ITC insisted on the extra time so that the judge who ruled on the case in January can take a second look at the infringement allegations.
Dendreon climbed 4.1 percent to $41.05 after regulators said the drugmaker’s prostate cancer medicine Provenge should be covered by the Medicare program, confirming a proposal from March. Provenge is the first medicine that trains the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells as if they were a virus.
Apollo Group gained 1.1 percent to $44.15 after reporting third-quarter earnings of $1.45 a share excluding some items, beating the average analyst estimate by 8.6 percent. The operator of for-profit schools forecast fiscal year 2012 revenue of as much as $4.25 billion, above the $4.13 billion predicted by analysts.
To contact the reporter on this story: Corinne Gretler in Zurich at cgretler1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Rummer at arummer@bloomberg.net