U.S. Stocks Staging Mixed Opening

Premarket futures indicate U.S. stocks were looking to stage a mixed open Wednesday, as the automakers attempted to secure their future by asking Congress for financial assistance, and several industrial heavyweights searched for answers in a troubled economic environment.

Futures for the S&P 500 were down 9.4 points at 857 and were 1 point below fair value. Nasdaq futures were lower by 16 points at 1158 and were 1.3 ahead of fair value.

Last time out, the major averages suffered through a whipsaw session to close with gains, as strong earnings from tech bellwether Hewlett-Packard (HPQ Quote) helped traders look past ongoing troubles for financial firms and automakers. ...