Morning Wire -- US Stock-Index Futures Rise

Stock-index futures are higher this morning following a successful auction of 4-week Italian treasury bills. The auction, for $11.8 billion in debt, had a bid-to-cover ratio of 1.7, up from 1.47 a month ago, and the yield on the Italian bonds fell from 6.5% to 3.25%. No significant US economic news is due out today, and volume on US markets is expected to be thin as traders continue their holiday break. As of last night’s close, the DJIA is up 6.2% for the year, the S&P 500 is up 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite is down -1%.

At about 7:40 a.m. ET, Germany’s DAX is up 0.08% at 5,894.36 and France’s CAC 40 is up 0.59%, at 3,121.48. In London, the FTSE 100 is up 0.69%, at 5,550.87.

In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index is down -0.59%, at 18,518.70. The Nikkei index is down -0.20%, at 8,423.62, and the Shanghai index is up 0.18%, at 2,170.01.

Dow futures are up 0.23%, at 12,247.00. The Nasdaq 100 is up 0.30%, at 2,291.25 and the S&P is up 0.27%, at 1,263.60.

In the currency markets, the US dollar is slightly stronger against the euro, the British pound, and the Japanese yen. The US dollar index is down about -0.125% at 79.736.

In commodities, both WTI and Brent crude are lower this morning, with WTI at $101.80/barrel and Brent at $108.44/barrel. Gold is down about -0.23%, at $1,591.80.