(By Balachander) U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher opening on the Wall Street amid hopes that Spain could seek a bailout package shortly and Apple's newest iPhone hit the stores worldwide.
Mini Dow Industrial Average futures added 49 points to 13,564. The Nasdaq futures rose 10.75 points to 2,864. Standard and Poor's 500 futures gained 4.30 points to 1,458.10.
Media reported that European Commission and Spain are discussing measures, which are expected to be announced next week, that may lead to a bailout of the country.
On Thursday, U.S. stocks ended on a mixed note as investors weighed weak data from China and Europe that raised growth worries. A domestic jobless claims report pointed to a struggling labor market.
Hot Stocks Of The Day: AAPL, ORCL, VVUS, TIBX, KBH, DRI, COL,KORS, CTAS
In corporate news, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) inched higher in premarket after the company started sales of its iPhone 5 - the thinnest and lightest smartphone ever - amid strong demand.
Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ:ORCL) added 1.80 percent in premarket after the enterprise software company reported a 11 percent increase in first-quarter earnings on lower expenses. Its new software licenses and cloud software subscriptions revenues grew 5 percent. The company declared a quarterly cash dividend of 6 cents.
Rockwell Collins Inc. (NYSE:COL) fell 2.65 percent in premarket after the Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based provider of communications and aviation electronics products issued earnings and revenue forecast for fiscal 2013, trailing market expectations, assuming the potential sequestration impacts on the U.S. defense budgets. The company expects a restructuring charge in the fourth quarter of 2012 that could be up to $0.30 cents per share, two-third of which relates to job cuts and facility optimization actions to reduce costs in 2013 and beyond.
Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE:DRI) gained 3.62 percent in premarket after the company posted a 4 percent rise in quarterly earnings and a 4.8 percent growth in sales amid a 0.3 percent drop in same-restaurant sales at its three casual dining brands. Orlando, Florida-based Darden declared a quarterly dividend of 50 cents.
Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:KORS) climbed 3.26 percent in premarket after the apparel company increased its earnings outlook for the second quarter and the full year.
VIVUS Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS) retreated 12.31 percent after the drugmaker said it expects European regulators to recommend against approval of its weight-loss treatment Qsiva.
Tibco Software Inc. (NASDAQ:TIBX) climbed 1.64 percent in premarket after the company posted higher quarterly earnings and revenue growth of 11 percent.
Cintas Corp. (NASDAQ:CTAS) posted better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter and the provider of corporate identity uniforms lifted its earnings view for 2013.
KB Home (NYSE:KBH) shed 1.98 percent in premarket after the homebuilder posted quarterly revenue growth in double digits, though slightly below market expectations. KBH reported a profit for the third quarter, boosted by an income tax benefit.
Global Markets:
European markets traded mixed, with Germany's DAX advancing 0.78 percent to trade at 7,446.94. France's CAC40 gained 0.27 percent to trade at 3,519.28. U.K.'s FTSE 100 declined 0.11 percent to trade at 5,848.21.
Asian markets closed higher, with China's Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index inching 0.09 percent higher to finish at 2,026.69. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.25 percent to end at 9,110.00. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.70 percent to close at 20,734.94. India's BSE Sensex closed at 18,752.83, up 2.20 percent.
Commodity & Currency Scan:
Ahead of the opening bell, crude oil futures rose 0.84 percent to $93.20 per barrel. Gold futures gained 0.34 percent to $1,776.2 per ounce.
In the currency market, the euro inched up 0.22 percent against the U.S. dollar to 1.2997 and the British pound added 0.30 percent to 1.6263. The dollar slipped 0.05 percent against the Japanese yen to 78.2000.