Stocks are looking set to open down, today. Yesterday, while Canadian markets were closed for the Canada Day holiday, the Dow Jones industrial index added 91 points to close at 10594. The S&P 500 gained 12 points to 1237, but the NASDAQ composite index slipped 12 points to finish at 2149.

Today, due to profit worries, it looks as if the bears are going to lead the open. The techs look weak after i2 Technologies Inc. issued a profit warning about its second-quarter. There was also a warning from DuPont Co.

In Europe, at midday, stocks are already down. A report of weak business and consumer confidence is skewering hopes for a quick recovery there too. The FTSE is down 76 points to 5641. The CAC 40 has dropped 63 points to 5233. The DAX is down 56 ticks to 6053.

Overnight in Asia, stocks followed Wall Street’s lead from Monday, ending up. The Nikkei added 66 points to 12817. The Hang Seng gained 142 points to 13185.

In M&A news, Technip SA is making a play for Coflexip SA in a deal that would create Europe’s largest oil-services provider. The deal values Coflexip at US$2.7 billion.

In other news, Cogeco Inc. is reporting net income for the third quarter at $2.9 million, or 18¢ per share, compared to $2.4 million, or 15¢ per share, a decrease of 21%. It attributes the increase in net income to improved operating margins.