The main US equity benchmarks are now being called to open 0.2% higher on average, following last Friday's sharp selling and ahead of a barrage of company results due out today.

Worth pointing out, futures are holding up despite heavy-machinery manufacturer Caterpillar coming out and lowering its guidance for 2012. The company is projecting earnings in a range of $9 to $9.25 a share on sales of about $66bn, as opposed to previous estimates of about $9.60 a share and $68bn to $70bn, respectively.

Results from Yahoo and Texas Instruments are due out after the close of trading.

In M&A news, Halcon Resources will buy producing oil-and-gas assets in the Williston Basin from Petro-Hunt and an affiliated entity for about $1.45bn.

Pfizer is to pay $680m for Next Wave.

Permira advisors will acquire Ancestry.com for $1.6bn.

Front month West Texas crude futures are now rising by 0.19% to the $89.88/barrel mark on the NYMEX.

10 year US Treasuries are off by 11/32 dollars, with yields now at 1.80%.

AB

Related share prices
Catco Reinsurance Opportunities Fund Ltd (DI) (CAT) share price