North American markets are set to open steady Tuesday, as markets look for fresh inspiration after Monday's start-of-the-year surge.
In premarket trading, Dow Jones industrial average futures are unchanged, S&P 500 futures are down 0.30 point and Nasdaq composite index futures are down 2.75 points.
After strong gains Monday in the first trading session of the year, both overseas stock markets and commodities have stabilized, providing little in the way of fresh incentive for North American investors to start the day. The markets are awaiting U.S. factory orders and pending-home-sales numbers at 10:00 a.m. ET, while in Canada the day's only economic indicator is a second-tier one - November producer prices, which came in higher than expected.
Asian markets closed mostly higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up 2.1 per cent, rebounding from its previous day's weakness, while Japan's Nikkei index rose 0.3 per cent.
European bourses are mixed. London's FTSE 100 index is up 0.4 per cent, while Germany's DAX is down 0.2 per cent.
Crude oil is flat at $81.50 (U.S.) a barrel in New York. Gold is up $2.10 at $1,120.40 an ounce.
The Canadian dollar is up 0.4 cent at 96.40 cents (U.S.).