Stock futures climb ahead of confidence data; Appl

Stock futures climb ahead of confidence data; Apple up
COPENHAGEN (MarketWatch) — U.S. stock futures pointed to a solid open on Wall Street on Monday as investors waited for confidence and consumer-spending data, while Apple Inc. rose premarket after it reached a deal with China Mobile.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (CBE JH4) put on 45 points, or 0.3%, to 16,226, while those for the S&P 500 index (GLC:SPH4) picked up 7.30 points, or 0.4%, to 1,821.80. Nasdaq 100 futures (GLC:NDH4) rose 24.50 points, or 0.7%, to 3,556.75

The futures gains came after the Dow Average (DJI JIA) and S&P 500 index (SNC:SPX) rallied to record levels on Friday, after a government report showed the U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in two years in the third quarter. In other positive news, the International Monetary Fund’s managing director, Christine Lagarde, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the country’s economic growth is picking up and that it is poised to accelerate as the business climate sees more certainty in 2014. Adding to that sense of certainty is a budget deal reached by Congress and clear communication from the Federal Reserve about its plan to wind down its bond-buying program, Lagarde said. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/stock-future...beforebell