Facebook, Candy Crush lead markets down

With little economic news to set the tone, investors focused on a number of big technology firms that were making waves early Wednesday. The king of the hour was supposed to be the maker of Candy Crush, which rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange in honor of its debut, but it shares immediately traded down over 10%.

Facebook shares edged higher after the company announced a $2 billion acquisition of virtual reality firm Oculus VR late Tuesday. Oculus makes a headset for 'immersive gaming' that Facebook plans to develop in to a communications and education platform.

The move helped boost shares of Himax Technologies , a Taiwan-based company that makes components used in so-called wearable technology. Shares of Sony , which recently unveiled a similar virtual reality headset for its PlayStation gaming system, were little changed.

Shares in King , maker of the popular online game Candy Crush Saga, begin trading after its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange was priced at $22.50 a share, raising nearly $500 million and valuing the company at about $7.6 billion.

Related: Candy Crush maker to begin trading

In other tech news, International Game Technology didn't have the luckiest morning. Shares fell after the company, which makes casino games such as slot machines, said it is planning to cut 7% of its staff and lowered its earnings guidance for the year. The stock has lost 18% so far this year.

Meanwhile, the broader market was drifting higher in early trading. The Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were all up in early trading, further cementing the momentum from yesterday.

Related: CNNMoney's Tech30

U.S. stocks made gains Tuesday, breaking a two-day losing streak. Investors were feeling optimistic after a new report showed consumer confidence reached its highest level in six years. On Wednesday, the government said new orders for long-lasting goods rose 2.2% in February, bouncing back from a decline in January.

Related: Fear & Greed Index still idling in neutral

European markets were moving up in morning trading, likely tied to comments from European Central Bank officials that the bank is prepared to take more aggressive action if the Eurozone economy weakens. Most Asian markets gained ground Wednesday.

First Published: March 26, 2014: 9:49 AM ET