MARKET SNAPSHOT: U.S. Stocks: Futures Perk Up As Apple Results Loom Large For Later

By Barbara Kollmeyer, MarketWatch

Asian stocks rally, while Europe's under pressure

A record-breaking run for Wall Street was showing signs of hesitancy on Monday, with stock futures struggling higher in a day devoid of data, but looming large on the corporate side with Apple Inc.'s results due later.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YMM5) rose 27 points to 18,043, while those for the S&P 500 index (ESM5) were up 4.55 points to 2,116.25. Futures for the Nasdaq-100 index (NQM5) added 11.25 points to 4,540.50.

Better-than-expected earnings pushed the Nasdaq Composite (RIXF) and S&P 500 index (SPX) to finish at all-time highs on Friday (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-stocks-google-amazon-poised-to-lead-nasdaq-to-another-record-2015-04-24). Those indexes gained 3.3% and 1.8%, respectively, over the week.

Markets will be put to the test later, with Apple (AAPL) scheduled to report second-quarter earnings after the close.

Need to know: Apple's report poised to rip through this vulnerable market (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apples-report-poised-to-ripple-through-this-vulnerable-market-2015-04-27)

"Judging by the moves in the tech giant last week, the market believes the eight consecutive quarterly earnings beats will continue. Expect a sizable increase to its previously announced buyback," said Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG, in a note.

Strategist: Here's why tech stocks deserve to be loved (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/strategist-heres-why-tech-stocks-deserve-to-be-loved-2015-04-24)

Analysts expect Apple to report fiscal second-quarter earnings of $2.15 a share and revenue of $55.75 billion. Analysts have grown increasingly bullish on Apple, with momentum building surrounding its Apple Watch and better-than-expected sales of its iPhone 6 Plus models. Read: What to watch for in Apple's earnings (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-to-watch-for-in-apples-earnings-2015-04-23)

(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-to-watch-for-in-apples-earnings-2015-04-23)Also read: Apple, energy, health care earnings to dominate week (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-energy-health-care-earnings-to-dominate-week-2015-04-26)

(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-to-watch-for-in-apples-earnings-2015-04-23)A Fed meeting and data: The economic calendar heats up midweek, with a preliminary reading on first-quarter gross domestic product due on Wednesday. On that same day, a Federal Open Market Committee announcement will come at the conclusion of the central bank's two-day meeting.

Signe Roed-Frederiksen, senior analyst at Danske Bank, said one thing that could come from the Federal Reserve is an emphasis that a soft patch in U.S. growth has been caused by temporary factors.

"Market participants have adjusted their expectations of a first fed funds rate hike from October December/January, and we believe that the statement could reverse some of this move," said Roed-Frederiksen. The analyst added that this week's data "should also work in the direction of an upward shift in the expected path for the fed funds rate."

Read: Will the economy roar back after a rocky start to the year? (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/will-economy-roar-back-after-rocky-start-to-the-year-2015-04-26)

Stocks to watch: Shares of iGATE Corp.(IGTE) could be active after French computer services and tech group Capgemini said it would buy its U.S. peer for $4 billion (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/capgemini-buys-igate-for-4-billion-2015-04-27-2485842).

Shares of Marvell Technology Group Ltd.(MRVL) were off 5% in thin premarket trade after the company warned Friday that revenue will be weaker than expected (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/marvell-technology-warns-revenue-will-be-weaker-2015-04-24).

U.S.-listed shares of Deutsche Bank AG(DB) were down 4% after Germany's biggest bank reported over the weekend that its profit halved on litigation costs (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/deutsche-bank-profit-halves-on-litigation-costs-2015-04-27) and said Monday it will scale back its investment banking (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/deutsche-bank-to-trim-its-investment-banking-2015-04-27).

Other markets: Deutsche Bank did its part to keep European stocks (http://www.marketwatch.com/storyno-meta-for-guid) from rising much, with those markets also pressed by continuing debt troubles out of Greece.

Read: Some Europe ministers suggest 'Plan B' if Greece talks fail (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/some-europe-ministers-suggest-plan-b-if-greece-talks-fail-2015-04-27)

(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/some-europe-ministers-suggest-plan-b-if-greece-talks-fail-2015-04-27)The Hong Kong Hang Seng Index and Shanghai Composite Index stocks both rallied on Monday, hitting new seven-year highs separately, led by oil and shipping stocks that surged on reports about possible mergers between several of China's largest state-owned firms.

(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/some-europe-ministers-suggest-plan-b-if-greece-talks-fail-2015-04-27)Oil prices (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-futures-edge-lower-as-dollar-creeps-higher-2015-04-27)(CLM5) eased, and gold (GCM5) edged higher, while the dollar (DXY) firmed up.

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