U.S. stocks will look to get back on the winning track Monday after six consecutive weekly losses, as early signs point to a slightly positive open despite lingering concerns about the health of the nation's economy.
Approaching 9 am ET, Dow futures were up 45 points, NASDAQ futures were up 7 points, and S&P futures were higher by 5.5 points.
On Friday, the major averages closed at their lowest level in two months.
The Dow plunged 172.45 points or 1.4 percent to 11,951.91, the NASDAQ sank 41.14 points or 1.5 percent to 2,643.73 and the S&P 500 plummeted 18.02 points or 1.4 percent to 1,270.98.
With no first-tier economic figures on tap today, the market awaits further word on a possible rescue for debt-ridden Greece.
Eurogroup chairman Jean-Claude Juncker said that Greece requires a "soft, voluntary restructuring" of its sovereign debt. It remains to be seen whether the private sector will bear any of the burden associated with restructuring the debt.
Merger news could provide a bit of a lift on Wall Street, as branded lifestyle apparel retailer V.F. Corp. (VFC) agreed to acquire smaller rival Timberland Co. (TBL) for $43 per share in cash to create a $10 billion global apparel & footwear powerhouse.
Timberland shares are set to open higher by 43 percent, the premium VF paid for the company compared to Friday's closing price.
Meanwhile, Transatlantic Holdings agreed to merge with fellow reinsurer Allied World Assurance in a stock deal valued at $3.2 billion. Transatlantic shares are indicated higher by about 17 percent in pre-market dealing.
Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. said it inked a definitive agreement for the sale of Arby's Restaurant Group to a buyer formed by Roark Capital Group. The transaction value is estimated to be $430 million.
Elsewhere, HSBC Holdings CEO Stuart Gulliver reportedly said the bank will run down its $33 billion U.S. credit card business if it cannot find a buyer.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Valeant Pharma (VRX) said the FDA has approved their epilepsy treatment Potigo as adjunctive therapy in partial onset seizures.
Merck (MRK) announced that it has signed a collaborative agreement with South Korea's Hanwha Chemical to commercialize a biosimilar candidate for Enbrel. Merck will develop and commercialize the biosimilar for which the Korean company is providing technology.
Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) received a favorable initial determination by the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding the import and sale of patent-infringing inkjet print cartridges. The ruling has upheld HP's patents and has found MicroJet and Asia Pacific Microsystems as infringers of the patents.
Automatic Data Processing (ADP) said its board authorized the repurchase of an additional 35 million shares.
Stocks remained in the doldrums overseas today, with Japan's Nikkei 225 average sliding 0.70 percent. Toyota (TM), which forecast a steep decline in profits for the fiscal year 2012 last Friday, fell 2.42 percent.
European shares are mixed, with weakness particularly pronounced in London, where the FTSE 100 index has dropped 1.2 percent in mid-day trading.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.