Morning Briefing: 10 Things You Should Know

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Here are 10 things you should know for Monday, Feb. 25:

1. -- U.S. stock futures were rising Monday, getting a boost from Japanese stocks that jumped following reports that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe planned to nominate a candidate for central bank governor who is a strong advocate of loose monetary policy.

Japan's Nikkei 22 index rose 2.4% to end at 11,662.52. Other Asian indices ended mixed.

European shares were higher in early trading Monday.

2. -- The economic calendar in the U.S. Monday includes the Chicago Fed's national activity index for February at 8:30 a.m. EST.

3. -- U.S. stocks on Friday rallied and the Dow Jones Industrial Average erased losses from two consecutive down sessions.

The Dow gained 120 points, or 0.9%, to finish Friday at 14,001. The index has gained 6.8% this year.

The S&P 500 added 13 points, or 0.9%, to 1,516. The index dropped 0.3% for the week. Nasdaq rose 30 points, or 1%, to close Friday at 3,162. It lost 0.95% last week.

4. -- Japan's Abe is expected to nominate Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda to take the reins at the nation's central bank, according to published media reports.

Citing anonymous sources, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the government planned to appoint Kuroda, a proponent of an expansionary monetary policy, to be chief of the Bank of Japan.

5. -- Barnes & Noble(BKS) Chairman Leonard Riggio has expressed interest in buying out the company's consumer-bookstore chain , The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.