The major US equity benchmarks are now being called to start ever so slightly higher following yesterday's close at five year highs and ahead of the release, this evening, of the minutes of the US Federal Reserve's last policy meeting.

Shares of Apple are falling after Foxconn Technology Group, the biggest assembler of Apple products, froze hiring across China.

Toll Brothers, the largest US luxury-home builder, is lower after it reported earnings that missed estimates.

Rambus is moving sharply higher after raising its revenue forecasts.

Office Depot has agreed to buy OfficeMax for $1.17bn.

US housing starts fell to an annualised rate of 890,000 in January (Consensus: 920,000). Some commentators believe the break-down of the statistics, however, are not quite as negative.

Front month West Texas crude futures are now edging higher by 0.113 dollars to the 97.21 dollar mark on the NYMEX.

10 year US Treasury yields are now rising by 1 basis point the 2.04% mark.

AB

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