Tepid tones in early trades

  • German DAX futures flat
  • UK FTSE futures -0.4%
  • Spanish IBEX futures -0.1%

This somewhat mirrors the flattish mood seen in US futures to get the session underway.

In Asia, Japanese stocks are continuing their breakout form with the Nikkei closing up 0.9% higher and above the 30,000 mark for the first time since March. Meanwhile, the Hang Seng is down 0.2% and the Shanghai Composite down 0.1% on the day.