09:09 AM EDT, 04/02/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity futures dropped before Tuesday's opening bell as traders awaited data on job openings and factory orders.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell 0.7%, S&P 500 futures declined 0.6%, and Nasdaq futures were down 0.8%.

Oil prices were higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 1.4% and US West Texas Intermediate crude up 1.6%, on escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East following reports that Israel struck an Iranian consulate in Syria.

US factory orders, slated for 10 am ET, are expected to have risen 1.1% in February versus January's 3.6% decline, while job openings based on the Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey are expected to come in at 8.76 million for February following January's 8.86 million, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.09% higher, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 2.4% higher, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.08% lower. Meanwhile, UK's FTSE 100 gained 0.2% and Germany's DAX index declined 0.3% in Europe's early afternoon session.

In equities, shares of Transocean ( RIG ) were 4.4% higher pre-bell after the company said it secured a contract extension for drillship rig Deepwater Asgard. Kidpik ( PIK ) shares were up over 33% following the company's agreement to merge with Nina Footwear in an all-stock deal.

On the losing side, Acorda Therapeutics' ( ACOR ) shares slumped 74% after saying it signed a deal to sell substantially all its assets and that it initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Verve Therapeutics ( VERV ) shares fell 37% after the company said it has decided to pause enrollment in its Heart-1 clinical trial after it observed "laboratory abnormalities" in one participant.