MARKET SNAPSHOT: U.S. Stock Futures Inch Higher, As Investors Count Down To Earnings Season

Procter & Gamble in focus ahead of proxy vote

U.S. stock futures pointed to a slightly higher open for Wall Street stocks on Tuesday, but a return to a record run for stocks looks unlikely as investors focus on the kickoff of third-quarter earnings season later this week.

What did stock benchmarks do?

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 31 points, or 0.2%, to 22,744. S&P 500 futures added 2.7 points, or 0.1%, to 2,546.25. Nasdaq-100 futures gained 8 points, or 0.1%, to 6,072.50.

On Monday (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-stocks-on-track-to-resume-their-record-busting-rise-2017-10-09), the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped less than 0.1% to 22,761, though it hit an intraday record of 22,803.37 in early trading. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% to 2,545. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 0.2% to 6,580, ending a nine-day rally.

What could move the markets?

Investors will listen for hints to policy in comments from Federal Reserve speakers today, ahead of the release of Fed minutes on Wednesday. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari is scheduled to make welcoming remarks at his bank's conference on regional economic conditions at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. Later, Dallas Fed President Rob Kaplan will appear in a moderated discussion at Stanford Institute for Economic Policy research in Stanford, Calif. at 8 p.m. Eastern.

In economic data, the closely watched sentiment gauge from the National Federation of Independent Business for September is scheduled for release at 6 a.m. Eastern.

But investing sentiment could be dampened by the wait for the start of the third-quarter earnings season. That kicks off in earnest on Wednesday with reports from BlackRock Inc.(BLK) and Delta Air Lines Inc.(DAL) . J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.(JPM) and Citigroup Inc.(C) will report Thursday, followed by Bank of America Corp.(BAC) and Wells Fargo & Co.(WFC) on Friday.

Which stocks are in focus?

Procter & Gamble Co. (GE) shares may be active. At the annual general meeting on Tuesday, a proxy vote among shareholders will decide on whether Trian Fund Management LP's chief executive officer, Nelson Peltz, gets a seat on the company's board.

Walt Disney Co.(DIS) may be in focus after the media and entertainment group released the latest trailer for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-releases-second-trailer-for-star-wars-the-last-jedi-2017-10-09) The second film in the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy will be released on Dec. 15.

Read:Carl's Jr. wants Amazon to buy it, and gives 24 reasons why (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/carls-jr-wants-amazon-to-buy-it-and-gives-24-reasons-why-2017-10-09)

(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/carls-jr-wants-amazon-to-buy-it-and-gives-24-reasons-why-2017-10-09)What are other assets doing?

European stocks () were mixed, with Spain's IBEX benchmark slipping ahead of a key speech by Catalan President Carles Puigdemont. He's due to make an address to the region's parliament later in the day, in which some think he could declare independence for the region. Such a move could trigger the Spanish government to take control of the Catalan government (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/spain-and-investors-on-roller-coaster-ride-after-catalonias-referendum-chaos-2017-10-06), which may result in more unrest in the region.

Asian markets traded mostly higher (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/south-korea-stocks-surge-leading-asian-market-gains-2017-10-09).

Oil futures and gold contracts gained. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index was down, as the dollar eased against the euro and the British pound .

(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/turkish-lira-falls-against-dollar-as-spat-weighs-while-pound-stabilizes-2017-10-09)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 10, 2017 04:21 ET (08:21 GMT)