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Technology Stocks : Semi Equipment Analysis -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: sixty2nds who wrote (29169)	3/9/2006 8:51:30 AM
From: Return to Sender	Respond to of 95738

Stock futures up as inflation, rate worries ease Thursday March 9, 8:13 am ET By Vivianne Rodrigues finance.yahoo.com NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher market opening on Thursday as oil prices traded near three-week lows, easing concerns about inflation. In another positive development, the Bank of Japan ended its policy of flooding the banking system with excess funds to fight deflation but said short-term interest rates would be kept around zero for now. Stocks and bonds fell worldwide earlier this week because of worries that the BOJ, the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank might all be on the verge of raising interest rates. Shares in General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM - News), the world's biggest automaker, rose almost 1 percent in European trading. The company and bankrupt auto parts supplier Delphi Corp. (Other OTC:DPHIQ.PK - News) are closer to a deal with the United Auto Workers union for cutting costs, the Wall Street Journal said. "We may be in for a good trading session today," said Barry Ritholtz of Ritholtz Capital Partners. "The good news from Japan and a pull-back in oil are positive, not only for companies but for consumers as well." S&P 500 futures (SPc1) were up 3.7 points, above fair value, a mathematical formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures (DJc1) climbed 30 points, and Nasdaq 100 (NDc1) futures were up 5.00 points. U.S. light crude for April (CLc1) rose 27 cents at $60.29 a barrel in electronic trading, but oil prices have slid 6 percent this week on strong U.S. crude stockpiles and OPEC's decision to keep pumping near full throttle. On the economic front, the U.S. January trade deficit is expected to reach $66.5 billion, the widest since October. Jobless claims are also due, with economists forecasting a drop to 290,000 claims from 294,000 the previous week. Both reports are scheduled for release at 8:30 a.m. On Friday the Labor Department will report data on U.S. nonfarm payrolls for February, with economists expecting an extra 210,000 jobs. Biogen Idec (NasdaqNM:BIIB - News) rose before the opening bell after a panel of independent experts unanimously urged the return of its multiple sclerosis drug, Tysabri, to the U.S. market. Shares in Biogen rose 8.5 percent from Monday's close to $49.50 on the Inet electronic system. Shares of Wind River Systems Inc. (NasdaqNM:WIND - News) fell 16.3 percent to $12.85 before the opening bell on Wednesday as the company reported earnings that missed analysts' estimates. National Semiconductor Corp (NYSE:NSM - News) posts quarterly figures later on Thursday.