[BRIEFING.COM] S&P futures vs fair value: +8.40. Nasdaq futures vs fair value: +8.80.  Stocks remain on track for a strong start with only a few minutes remaining before the opening bell sounds. The positive bias comes as an improvement from the flat tone of the prior session, during which stocks traded sideways. The upbeat tone comes amid mixed guidance from Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), but better-than-expected earnings from CVS Caremark (CVS), Newmont Mining (NEM), Noble Energy (NBL), and Sprint Nextel (S). Meanwhile, the January Producer Price Index and core PPI increased more than expected. Job markets remain weak as initial jobless claims for the week ending Feb. 14 totaled 627,000, exceeding expectations. That keeps the four-week moving average above 600,000. Continuing jobless claims now stand at a record 4.99 million, which is more than expected.