The fear of terrorism, never far from Americans' minds the past two years, appeared to be creeping back into U.S. stock trading early Monday after two car bombings n Turkey.
At 5:25 a.m. ET, futures pointed to a broadly lower open for the major indexes, after Tokyo's Nikkei index plummeted 3.7 percent overnight.
The terrorism concern was raised when car bombs exploded Saturday outside two synagogues in Istanbul. Turkish officials said at least 23 people were killed in the attacks. An Arab-language newspaper published in London said al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks, and is planning similar attacks in the United States, Japan and other allied nations.
The report helped send the Nikkei reeling, with the Japanese index finishing below 10,000 for the first time since August. Other Asian-Pacific markets also declined Monday, and European stocks began their day in retreat. (Check the latest on world markets)
Iraq could also weigh on U.S. markets after the crash of two Black Hawk helicopters killed 17 soldiers. U.S. forces have launched a new offensive on suspected insurgents near Saddam Hussein's home city of Tikrit. American officials are also trying to confirm if an audio tape aired by an Arabic language TV network actually contains the voice of Saddam urging continued resistance against U.S.-led forces that toppled him earlier this year.
Quarterly results from key retailers Lowe's and Toys 'R' Us will greet investors at the start of the trading week Monday.
Lowe's (LOW: Research, Estimates), the No. 2 home improvement retailer, is expected to report fiscal third-quarter income of 53 cents a share, up from 43 cents a year earlier, according to a consensus of analysts surveyed by Reuters Research. Lowe's comments about its quarter and its outlook will weigh on the industry leader, Dow component Home Depot (HD: Research, Estimates), whose earnings are due Tuesday.
Lowe's rose 68 cents to $58.63 Friday. Among U.S. stocks trading in Europe, Home Depot shares were more than 2 percent lower.
Toys 'R' Us (TOY: Research, Estimates), the No. 1 specialty toy retailer, is forecast to post a loss of 9 cents a share, narrower than the 13 cents a share reported a year earlier. The company will also be watched for hints at what kind of holiday season it expects.
Shares were down 26 cents to $12.74 Friday.
Before the markets open, the government will issue its report on business inventories for September. They're expected to come in unchanged after a 0.4 percent drop in August.
The Dow Jones industrial average finished on the negative side last week after dropping 0.7 percent Friday. The Nasdaq composite index was also lower; it fell 2 percent to conclude the week.
Treasury prices rose in early trading, sending the 10-year note yield down to 4.21 percent from 4.22 percent late Friday. The dollar gained against the yen, but was lower versus the euro.
Brent oil futures pulled back 35 cents to $29.21 a barrel in London. The concerns about terrorism helped send gold close to $398 an ounce.
At 5:25 a.m. ET, futures pointed to a broadly lower open for the major indexes, after Tokyo's Nikkei index plummeted 3.7 percent overnight.
The terrorism concern was raised when car bombs exploded Saturday outside two synagogues in Istanbul. Turkish officials said at least 23 people were killed in the attacks. An Arab-language newspaper published in London said al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks, and is planning similar attacks in the United States, Japan and other allied nations.
The report helped send the Nikkei reeling, with the Japanese index finishing below 10,000 for the first time since August. Other Asian-Pacific markets also declined Monday, and European stocks began their day in retreat. (Check the latest on world markets)
Iraq could also weigh on U.S. markets after the crash of two Black Hawk helicopters killed 17 soldiers. U.S. forces have launched a new offensive on suspected insurgents near Saddam Hussein's home city of Tikrit. American officials are also trying to confirm if an audio tape aired by an Arabic language TV network actually contains the voice of Saddam urging continued resistance against U.S.-led forces that toppled him earlier this year.
Quarterly results from key retailers Lowe's and Toys 'R' Us will greet investors at the start of the trading week Monday.
Lowe's (LOW: Research, Estimates), the No. 2 home improvement retailer, is expected to report fiscal third-quarter income of 53 cents a share, up from 43 cents a year earlier, according to a consensus of analysts surveyed by Reuters Research. Lowe's comments about its quarter and its outlook will weigh on the industry leader, Dow component Home Depot (HD: Research, Estimates), whose earnings are due Tuesday.
Lowe's rose 68 cents to $58.63 Friday. Among U.S. stocks trading in Europe, Home Depot shares were more than 2 percent lower.
Toys 'R' Us (TOY: Research, Estimates), the No. 1 specialty toy retailer, is forecast to post a loss of 9 cents a share, narrower than the 13 cents a share reported a year earlier. The company will also be watched for hints at what kind of holiday season it expects.
Shares were down 26 cents to $12.74 Friday.
Before the markets open, the government will issue its report on business inventories for September. They're expected to come in unchanged after a 0.4 percent drop in August.
The Dow Jones industrial average finished on the negative side last week after dropping 0.7 percent Friday. The Nasdaq composite index was also lower; it fell 2 percent to conclude the week.
Treasury prices rose in early trading, sending the 10-year note yield down to 4.21 percent from 4.22 percent late Friday. The dollar gained against the yen, but was lower versus the euro.
Brent oil futures pulled back 35 cents to $29.21 a barrel in London. The concerns about terrorism helped send gold close to $398 an ounce.
3287.99
1275.09
