US stocks are seen heading lower at the open as global markets have been thrown into some chaos with news of a missing EgyptAir flight and as traders mull more earnings and potential Fed moves.
In London, FTSE100 is down over 61 points to 6,104, while the DAX is down almost 47 points. In France, the CAC 40 is down around nine points, at 4,310.
News sources have the French president francois Hollande saying the plane had likely crashed in the Mediterranean sea.
In the USA yesterday, stocks closed flat-to-lower after the Federal Reserve raised the stakes for a June rate hike and oil prices slumped late in the session.
The benchmark Dow Jones shed 3.36 to 17,526, while the broader S&P500 added 0.42 to stand at 2,047.
Meanwhile, the tech heavy Nasdaq index added over 23 points to 4,739.
Today, futures trading has the S&P500 down 1.25, while the Nasdaq index is down 2.75 and the benchmark Dow Jones is down one point.
Among the big pre-market movers is Walmart (NYSE:WMT), which gained over 8% to US$68.41 as it reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit and revenue, as sales in the US rose and the giant retailer kept a lid on costs.
Same store sales were up one percent in the quarter, which topped estimates of only a half percent rise.