Pre-Market: Stock Trading Before the Markets Open from CNNMoney

Pre-Market: Stock Trading Before the Markets Open from CNNMoney

	Mar 12 7:26am†	Change	%Change	Level
	FTSE 100	+108.90	+1.91%	5,799.30
	XETRA-DAX	+111.90	+1.72%	6,636.47
	CAC 40	+97.77	+2.11%	4,725.46
	HANG SENG	+427.41	+1.86%	23,422.76
	NIKKEI 225	+202.85	+1.60%	12,861.13
	U.S. Dollar vs Euro	+0.0115	+0.75%	1.5454
	U.S. Dollar vs Yen	-0.7900	-0.76%	0.0097
	U.S. Dollar vs UK £	+0.01	+0.47%	2.02

Open Closed

Among companies to watch, Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500) and Fannie Mae (FNM) may have to issue in excess of $10 billion in new stock this year as the government-sponsored mortgage lenders continue to serve as a backstop for the deteriorating housing market, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) posted a bigger-than-expected loss late Tuesday, but raised its outlook for 2008. The video game publisher also reiterated its rejection of a $2 billion buyout offer from rival Electronic Arts (ERTS).

And Japanese officials are investigating a possible defect in the lithium-ion battery in Apple Inc.'s (AAPL, Fortune 500) iPod Nano model after a report that the digital music player emitted sparks while recharging, officials told the Associated Press.

Light, sweet crude for April lost 15 cents to $108.60 in electronic trading. The front-month contract hit a new trading record below $110 a barrel Tuesday.

Gold prices also retreated. COMEX gold for April fell $1.10 to $974.90 an ounce.

The dollar fell as traders shrugged off the Fed's move. The greenback slipped against both the yen and euro