Stock Futures Climb; Dow Eyes 16K Mark

FOX Business: Capitalism Lives Here

U.S. stock-index futures climbed Monday, signaling the Dow could open within striking distance of the 16000 mark.

Today's Markets

As of 8:10 a.m. ET, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures climbed 38 points, or 0.24%, to 15951, S&P 500 futures advanced 2.5 points, or 0.14%, to 1796 and S&P 500 futures edged up 0.3 point, or 0.01%, to 3417.

The Dow and S&P 500 both logged record highs in the three previous sessions, leaving the blue-chip average right beneath 16000 for the first time ever. If the market barometer hits that level Monday, it will be the sixth-quickest 1000-point gain in history.

The Federal Reserve was expected to stay in focus this week, with several prominent officials speaking and minutes from the last FOMC meeting out Wednesday.

New York Fed chief William Dudley is expected to speak at 12:15 p.m. ET. Traders are paying close attention to any hints on when the central bank will begin paring back its massive bond-buying program.

Also on the economic front, the National Association of Home Builders reveals its latest reading on homebuilder sentiment at 10 a.m. ET. The housing sector, which was pummeled during the financial crisis, has been a centerpiece of the recovery. However, higher mortgage rates have put some pressure of the segment recently.

In corporate news, Boeing (NYSE:BA) shares rallied after the aerospace giant revealed $95 billion in orders for its 777X plane -- representing the largest commercial jet launch in history by dollar value, according to the company. Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN) posted quarterly profits that narrowly beat analysts' expectatins.

Elsewhere, U.S. crude oil prices fell 36 cents, or 0.38%, to $93.48 a barrel. Wholesale New York Harbor gasoline slid 1.1% to $2.628 a gallon. Gold dipped $8.80, or 0.69%, to $1,279 a troy ounce.