Dow futures trade slightly up as investors digest

Dow futures trade slightly up as investors digest upbeat housing market numbers. Builders' confidence surged, indicating possible cyclical boosts to industrial components within the index. Meanwhile, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 is down 0.95%, or 491 points in early trading, extending its decline from previous trading days. Construction, engineering and other heavy industries stocks led the decline, while IT services, pharmaceuticals and entertainment stocks rally. Silver futures ( SI=F ) are up 27% over the past three months, versus gold’s more than 15% rise, and roughly 58% year to date compared with the yellow metal’s 45% gain. Dow futures climb 0.2% as chipmakers announce capital expansion plans, feeding optimism about cyclical recovery. Industrial-heavy composition of the Dow stands to gain.