Warren Buffett“A public opinion poll is no substitute for thought.”
Adlin Sinclair“Success is a welcomed gift for the uninhibited mind.”
Wall Street futures flat; economic data awaited (Reuters)
, the
and the Nasdaq 100 were little changed at 0950 GMT.
At 1245 GMT, ICSC/
versus the prior week. In the previous week, sales were up 2.3 percent.
of department and chain store sales for February versus January. In the prior period, sales rose 1.6 percent.
U.S. automakers release February sales. Economists in a Reuters survey expect median annualized sales of 3.7 million cars and 4.2 million trucks. In January, the figures were 3.8 million cars and 4.18 million trucks.
.O), a technology bellwether, rose 2.1 percent to $36.29 after the bell on Monday after the company announced a new $3 billion share buyback plan and raised its quarterly dividend by 12 percent.
Top U.S. and Chinese diplomats will grapple with how to deal with the nuclear ambitions of
in meetings that Washington hopes will help ease tensions with Beijing.
.N) rose 4.8 percent to $5.03 after the bell on Monday following the company's quarterly results.
At 2200 GMT, ABC News releases its consumer comfort index for the week ended
versus the prior week. In the previous week, the index read -50.
(4503.T) shares fell 2.1 percent on Tuesday after it went hostile with a $3.5 billion bid for U.S.-based
.O) and its prized Tarceva cancer drug, highlighting concerns over the Japanese firm's drug pipeline and whether it would get into a bidding war against other possible suitors.
, the largest U.S. auto-parts retail chain, is expected to post a rise in earnings to $2.34 per share from $2.03 in the February quarter of 2009.
.O) is also due to announce results.
Japan's government called for fresh action on Tuesday from the central bank to lift the economy out of deflation this year despite widespread skepticism that such a goal is feasible.
to 4.0 percent on Tuesday and flagged further hikes ahead, saying a surprisingly strong recovery allowed it to move policy toward more normal settings.
(GM.UL) said it will triple its funding of European arm Opel and cut its request for state aid, in a bid to win over European governments and labor.
Oil was steady below $79 a barrel as the dollar stiffened on European sovereign risk woes and forecasts for rising U.S. crude and gasoline inventories capped prices.
European shares were flat in early trade, with falls in drugmakers offsetting gains in mining stocks.
Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.5 percent on Tuesday, buoyed by gains in chip-linked stocks such as
(6857.T) after a bullish outlook from flash memory maker
.O) pushed up shares of their U.S. peers.
U.S. stocks rose for a second straight day on Monday, boosted by AIG's record-setting deal to sell a major Asian unit and on gains in semiconductor shares after SanDisk Corp raised its revenue forecast.
(.DJI) gained 78.53 points, or 0.76 percent, to 10,403.79.
& Poor's 500 Index (.
) added 11.22 points, or 1.02 percent, to 1,115.71. The
(.
) rose 35.31 points, or 1.58 percent, to 2,273.57.