GLOBAL MARKETS

Futures on major U.S. stock indices point to a higher opening on Wednesday ahead of US Federal Reserve’s meeting and Census Bureau's durable goods orders report.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: LCA-Vision, Keynote Systems, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, ReachLocal, and ShoreTel. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: MIPS Technologies, Broadcom, RF Micro Devices, MAKO Surgical, and DDI Corp.

The top after-market NYSE losers on Tuesday are: LDK Solar, Nalco Holding, Chicago Bridge & Iron, Ritchie Bros, STMicroelectronics, CB Richard Ellis, FMC Technologies, Cobalt International Energy, Red Hat and Western Union.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Tuesday are: Select Medical Holdings, Cai International, Endeavour Silver, Sturm, Ruger & Co, Eastman Kodak, Vaalco Energy, Canon, K-V Pharmaceutical, Motorola Solutions and Silvercorp Metals.

RBC Capital Markets said Deckers Outdoor Corp.'s (NASDAQ: DECK) late start to spring may provide a lift to first quarter. The company is scheduled to report its first quarter earnings on April 28.

The Gold Price recovered an overnight dip below $1500 per ounce in London on Tuesday, trading less than 1% shy of yesterday's new all-time high at $1518 as European stock markets rose together with major government bonds and energy prices.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: USA Technologies, Rediff.com India, Mindspeed Technologies, Sify Technologies, Calamos Asset Management, and Veeco Instruments. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Wilshire Bancorp, Lawson Software, ZST Digital Networks, Tellabs, Netflix, and Express Scripts.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Tuesday are: Ford Motor, UBS AG, Illinois Tool Works, Delta Air Lines, Caterpillar, 3M Co, Boeing, Cummins, AK Steel Holding, Lexmark International, Coca-Cola Co and Medco Health Solutions.

Gold is constant. What is changing is everything else - the volume and quality of debt, in particular, and the volume of US Dollars most especially. That's what makes the golden constant stand out against the noise of the Dollar's latest plunge.

The companies which are expected to see active trade on Tuesday are: Ford Motor, Amazon.com, Broadcom, 3M, United Parcel Service, Western Union, Coca-Cola, FMC Technologies and AK Steel Holding.

Jefferies & Co. reiterated its hold rating on shares of Motorola Solutions Inc (NYSE: MSI) ahead of first quarter earnings results, with a price target of $43.

Jefferies & Co. reiterated its hold rating on shares of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. (NYSE: MMI) ahead of first quarter earnings results, with a price target of $28.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Sanofi Pasteur's bacterial meningitis vaccine Menactra in children as young as 9 months.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Monday are: Hexcel Corp, Aaron's, Inc, Capital Trust, Hospira, Helix Energy Solutions, Helix Energy Solutions Group, AK Steel Holding, ITT Educational Services, Jaguar Mining, United Parcel Service and Valero Energy.

The top after-market NYSE losers on Monday are: Ennis, Health Management Associates, Precision Drilling, Emulex, Callon Petroleum, Endeavour Silver, OMNOVA Solutions, and Venoco.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Ultra Clean Holdings, Calamos Asset Management, ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Veeco Instruments, and Cubist Pharmaceuticals. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Express Scripts, Netflix, Rent-A-Center, L & L Energy, and MIND C.T.I.

Gold and silver continue to defy expectation and climb higher by the day.

RBC Capital Markets said FDA could approve Endocyte Inc.'s (NASDAQ: ECYT) EC145 to treat women patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Monday are: International Game Technology, Advanced Micro Devices, Micron Technology, Tesoro Corp, Pfizer, Netflix, FirstEnergy, Kimberly-Clark Corp, RadioShack and First Horizon National.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Polycom, OmniVision Technologies, Changyou.com, Sohu.com, and Avanir Pharmaceuticals. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Orexigen Therapeutics, SanDisk, Micron Technology, and Huntington Bancshares.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday as robust earnings from Apple, Morgan Stanley and General Electric lifted the market, but weaker-than- expected reports on jobless claims and Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index kept gains in check.

FBR Capital Markets upgraded its rating on shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) to outperform from market perform with a price target of $43.

Asian stock markets ended mixed on Monday as Chinese shares declined to the lowest level in three weeks on monetary policy tightening concerns.

Jefferies & Co. reiterated its buy rating on shares of Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) ahead of first quarter earnings results, with a price target of 5 euros.

Since the height of the financial crisis, gold prices have soared, oil has surged, the US dollar has somewhat declined against other currencies, and US consumer price inflation has only inched up slightly.

The Japanese yen and gold may be in trouble as countries around the world set for budget austerity and rate hikes in 2011.

In recent weeks, global central banks have accelerated their pace of diversification out of the US dollar. One of the main beneficiaries has been the Australian dollar, which has surged in the face of bearish developments.

The euro has decoupled from the euro zone peripheral debt crisis in 2011.

The US dollar is in a new phase of depreciation, said Douglas Borthwick of Connecticut-based Faros Trading.