US stock futures are trading lower Monday following declines in Asian and European markets, and ahead of the kick-off of earnings season, with Alcoa set to report after the close of trading. Stocks in Europe fell sharply as Portugal's market borrowing rates jumped higher in the wake of renewed bailout talk. Finance ministers of the 17 countries are set to meet next Monday in Brussels. In corporate news, DuPont (NYSE:DD) entered into a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Danisco for $5.8 billion in cash and assumption of $500 million of the company's debt. Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE:DUK) is set to purchase Progress Energy, Inc. (NYSE:PGN) for over $13 billion in stock in a bid to create one of the largest utilities in the US The combined utility would garner an estimated 7.1 million electric customers from North and South Carolina, Indiana, Florida, Ohio and Kentucky. TheDow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures are trading 40.00 points below fair value, the S&P500 (INX) futures are trading 6.00 points below fair value, and the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) futures are trading 7.00 points below fair value.