August 20, 2014- Stocks Take Breather After Recent Gains

Trading in the U.S. index futures suggests that the momentum of Wall Street stocks may ebb following two straight sessions of solid gains. The major averages point to a slightly lower open on Wednesday after Asian stocks closed mostly higher and as European stocks are seeing lackluster sentiment. Across the Atlantic, some negative corporate tidings and the minutes of the Bank of England's August meeting that was more hawking than expected have hurt sentiment. Traders in the domestic markets may also closely watch the FOMC minutes due in the New York afternoon to glean clues on the monetary policy outlook. The Dow futures are slipping 16 points and the S&P 500 futures are losing 2.50 points while the Nasdaq 100 futures are moving up 21 points. Positive earnings and economic data helped U.S. stocks extend their gains on Tuesday.