August 19, 2013- Stocks Look Trade Flat Amid Lack of Catalysts

After moving sharply lower last week, stocks are likely to show a lack of direction in early trading on Monday. The major index futures are currently pointing to a roughly flat open for the markets, with the Dow futures down by just 3 points. A lack of major market catalysts is likely to contribute to choppy trading on Wall Street, as the earnings season is largely over and there is no major U.S. economic data scheduled for the day. Trading activity may remain subdued throughout the week amid a relatively light economic calendar, although reports on new and existing home sales are likely to attract some attention along with the weekly jobless claims report. Investors are also likely to keep a close eye on the release of the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday.