Futures Pointing To A Lower Open On Wall Street

(RTTNews) - After turning in a mixed performance last week, stocks are likely to come under pressure in early trading on Monday. The major index futures are currently pointing to a lower open for the markets, with the Dow futures down by 44 points.

The downward momentum for the markets partly reflects lingering valuation concerns after the Dow and the S&P 500 both reached record closing highs last Tuesday.

Traders may look to cash in on some of the recent strength among stocks and move their money into safer havens like treasuries.

Nonetheless, trading activity on Wall Street is likely to be relatively subdued amid a lack of major U.S. economic reports.

The economic calendar remains light throughout much of the week, although reports on new and existing home sales and weekly jobless claims are likely to attract some attention on Thursday and Friday.

Traders are also likely to keep an eye on the release of the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday, looking for indications regarding the outlook for monetary policy.