Fannie, Freddie Bailout Helps Lift Stock Futures

A Wall Street Journal Online NEWS ROUNDUP

Word Count: 526 | Companies Featured in This Article: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, UBS, Mizuho Financial Group, Citigroup, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Washington Mutual, Lehman Brothers Holdings, Altria Group, UST, ConocoPhillips, Origin Energy

U.S. stock futures leaped Monday after the government seized mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, guaranteeing that trillions of dollars in mortgage-backed securities won't default anytime soon and triggering hopes that banks will resume lending to both customers and each other.

More than two hours before the start of trading, Dow industrial futures climbed 253 points to 11480. S&P 500 futures advanced 34.9 points to 1276 and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 35.25 points to 1805.25. Changes in futures do not always accurately predict early market moves after the opening.

U.S. stocks finished last week with steep losses, with the ...