Bhaskar Prasad

Sexual harassment wasn't a priority for Indian companies until recently, but now employers provide Western-style guarantees. The trouble begins when people leave work.

The U.S. stock index signaled a higher open Friday as investor sentiment turned positive amid the encouraging data from China.

China’s economy rose at a better than expected rate in the fourth quarter of last year, indicating that economic growth is reviving.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower open Thursday ahead of the Labor Department's weekly jobless claims data and the Census Bureau’s data on housing starts and building permits.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Wednesday were K-Swiss Inc, EnerNOC Inc, Nektar Therapeutics and Plexus Corp. The top after-market NASDAQ losers Wednesday were Columbia Sportswear Company, AVEO Pharmaceuticals Inc, Hercules Offshore Inc, Liquidity Services Inc and InterMune Inc.

U.S. stock index futures point to a lower open Wednesday ahead of the release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December by the Department of Labor and the Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization report by the Federal Reserve.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Tuesday were Vera Bradley Inc, TTM Technologies Inc, ArQule Inc and Gordmans Stores Inc. The top after-market NASDAQ losers Tuesday were Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc, Crocs Inc, AtriCure Inc, Arkansas Best Corporation and Five Below Inc.

The U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open Tuesday ahead of the Department of Commerce's retail sales report and the Department of Labor's Producer Price Index.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Monday were Globecomm Systems Inc, Dell Inc, Skullcandy Inc and PDC Energy Inc. The top after-market NASDAQ losers Monday were Multi-Fineline Electronix Inc, Gordmans Stores Inc, InterMune Inc, Fiserv Inc and BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

The U.S. stock index futures point to a flat open Monday as investors maintained caution ahead of the quarterly earnings reports to be announced this week by major corporates.

The Japanese yen hit the lowest level against the U.S. dollar in the last 30 months Monday amid reports that policymakers in Japan were under pressure to further loosen the monetary policy to revive the economy.

Asian markets fell as investor confidence was weighed down by the report that inflationary pressures continued to increase in China

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Friday were Landec Corporation, Westport Innovations Inc, QuickLogic Corporation and Immunomedics Inc. The top after-market NASDAQ losers Friday were James River Coal Company, IPG Photonics Corporation, ModusLink Global Solutions Inc, NutriSystem Inc and Cybex International Inc.

The U.S. stock index futures point to a flat open Friday ahead of the Department of Labor's import price index and the Bureau of Economic Analysis's trade deficit report.

China’s inflation rate accelerated in December faster than expected, an indication that the country’s inflationary pressures continue to increase, lowering prospects for further loosening of the country's monetary policy.

The U.S. stock index futures signal a higher open Thursday ahead of the Department of Labor's weekly jobless claims data.

Thailand’s consumer confidence rose in December compared to that in the previous month, indicating an improvement in domestic spending which accounts for the majority of overall economic activity.

China’s trade surplus gained in December compared with the previous month, indicating that the world’s second-largest economy's growth is on the upswing.

The U.S. stock index futures signal a higher open amid the optimism that the earnings season will reveal encouraging results.

Malaysia posted a better-than-expected trade surplus in November, indicating that the country’s economic condition continued to improve.

South Korea’s unemployment rate in December remained unchanged from that in November but added fewer jobs compared to those in the previous month.

The U.S. stock index futures point to a lower open Tuesday as investors preferred to maintain caution before the beginning of earnings season.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Monday were Wet Seal Inc, EarthLink Inc, Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc and PDF Solutions Inc. The top after-market NASDAQ losers Monday were Plexus Corp, Aviat Networks Inc, Sonus Networks Inc, Solar Capital Ltd and Flamel Technologies S.A.

The stock index futures pointed to a flat open as investors worried that the sluggish economic growth would affect earnings.

Japan's monetary base rose in December compared to that in the same month last year, indicating that the monetary easing policies are leading to an increase in the amount of currency in circulation which in turn results in reviving economic growth.

Asian markets rose as investor sentiment was lifted after the Congress passed a bill intended to avert the fiscal cliff.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Friday were Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc, JDS Uniphase Corporation, Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc and GenMark Diagnostics Inc. The top after-market NASDAQ losers Friday were Mindspeed Technologies Inc, Capitol Federal Financial Inc, Pacific Premier Bancorp Inc, Signature Bank and Hercules Offshore Inc.

India's service activity expanded in December at the fastest pace in the last three months, according to the HSBC PMI.

U.S. stock index futures point to a higher open Friday ahead of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' nonfarm payrolls report.