The Day Ahead: Markets Lacking Direction to End Strong Week

Treasuries are a wee bit firmer and equity futures are lower as investors adopt a cautious stance after a four-day run.

The 10-year Treasury yield is steady at 2.08%, the two-year yield is flat at 0.19%, and the 30-year yield is two basis points firmer at 3.34%. 

S&P 500 futures are 0.6 points lower at 1,203.60 and Dow futures are 20 points lower  at 11,355. 

So far this week the S&P 500 has jumped 54.9 points, or 4.75%, and the Dow has gained 441 points, or 4.01%. 

Investors are hesitant to continue pushing stocks higher even though global markets are experiencing pretty major gains. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 closed 2.25% higher and Hong Kong shares finished up 1.43%. In Europe, the FTSE 100 is currently up 0.73%, the Euro Stoxx 50 index is up 1.12%, and the CAC-40 is 0.61% higher.

Finance ministers are in Poland trying to find resolution for the European debt crisis. That remains the key item on Wall Street; new data today features the University of Michigan consumer sentiment report.

Meantime, light crude oil fell 0.19% overnight to $89.23 per barrel, while gold prices rose 0.30% to $1,786.80.

Key Events Today:

9:55 - Consumer Sentiment has no reason to rebound in September, but the general consensus is for a small uptick now that the debt ceiling debate has concluded. August's preliminary reading was the lowest since 1980 until later revisions took it up 0.8 points to 55.7, its lowest since November 2008. A continuation of that trend should push sentiment up to 56.5, or even as high as 59.6, economists say.

"Consumers face many headwinds such as poor job prospects, volatile equity markets, smaller 401(k)s, and the bickering in Washington D.C. over the debt ceiling was not very helpful," said IHS Global Insight. "The preliminary reading in September should improve on August since the negative impact on consumer mood due to the debt ceiling crisis should wear off a bit."