10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

Good morning. Here's what you need to know.
[list]
[*]With more European officials talking about bank recapitalizations, global markets are rallying. Asian markets were up in overnight trading, with [b]Hong Kong surging 5.67%[/b]. Europe is sharply higher and U.S. futures are higher ahead of the open.[/*:m][/list:u][list]
[*]
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/TE9dNuu4vLmIEG_aBc5c3]Apple[/url]
founder
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/TozwJzvOTT-KwgMkB3c50]Steve Jobs passed away last night.[/url]
Jobs had been suffering from pancreatic cancer and his death comes a little over a month after he resigned as CEO of Apple.[/*:m][/list:u][list]
[*]The
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/To2S_ezsHfESwZqlBde32][b]Bank of England held interest rates steady but announced QE2[/b][/url]
, via additional asset purchases of
[url= billion, bringing the total to
[url= billion. This comes after UK posted lower than expected GDP growth rate
yesterday
.[b]
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/Tnin-CalTT_UtDWKB89b2]Now here are the IMF's ugly growth prospects for countries around the world >[/url]
[/b][/*:m][/list:u][list]
[*]The [b]
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/To2S_ezsHfETwZqlBa550]European Central Bank[/url]
will announce its interest rate decision[/b] at 7:45 AM ET and ECB president Jean Claude-Trichet will hold a press conference at 8:30 AM ET. The ECB is expected to lay the groundwork for future rate cuts.[/*:m][/list:u][list]
[*]German Chancellor
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/To2S_ezsHfEUwZqlB9bad][b]Angela Merkel will be meeting with the heads of the IMF, World Bank and the OECD[/b][/url]
in Berlin
today
. Merkel recently said that Europe's rescue fund will only be used as a last resort to save banks and reiterated that time is running out to recapitalize banks.
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/TooNNkgMTT9dIbmCB55bc]Now here are 10 things that everyone is freaking out about right now >[/url][/*:m][/list:u][list]
[*][b]German factory orders fell 1.4% in August,[/b] against expectations that it would hold steady. The collapse was driven by a
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/To2A5_7-TT_74AehB658f]3.2% drop in domestic demand[/url]
, while foreign orders increased 0.1%.[/*:m][/list:u][list]
[*]Initial jobless claims will be released at 8:30 AM ET. [b]Consensus is for a rise to 410K new claims.[/b] Meanwhile, U.S. retailers will be announcing same store sales through the day.
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/TE9EW-u4vLmOAm_aD759e]Follow the release at Money Game >[/url][/*:m][/list:u][list]
[*]Troubled Franco-Belgian bank
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/To2S_ezsHfEVwZqlBb9df][b]Dexia will reportedly be nationalized by Belgium[/b][/url]
, and the stock is down about 10%
today
. This comes after Belgium warned France that it would not solely rescue
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/Torwlap4Fi3ZRPUFB2cc2]Dexia[/url]
. The bank's
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/To2S_ezsHfEWwZqlB1e70]board was expected to meet in Paris on Saturday[/url]
to vote on a break-up plan. [b]
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/ToyjDTvOTT9ytgMkB9934]Check out the 13 banks with the most exposure to the PIIGS >[/url]
[/b][/*:m][/list:u][list]
[*]Liquor maker [b]Constellation Brands reports earnings before the bell
today
[/b]. Expectations are for
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/To2S_ezsHfEXwZqlBb9ca]earnings of $0.66 per share[/url]
, and
[url= per share for the fiscal year ending
Feb. 28, 2012
.[/*:m][/list:u][list]
[*]
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/To2N__7-TT964gehBe425][b]President Obama's disapproval rating has hit an all-time high of 55%[/b][/url]
, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University. 64% of those polled disapproved of his handling of the economy, and 43% trust Congressional Republicans with the economy, compared with 41% that trust the President.
[url=http://e.businessinsider.com/848w.39p/ToNEVLQjTT8uSuFEBbc53]Check out the best presidential ad campaigns of all time >[/url][/*:m][/list:u]