Stock futures lower ahead of data, Fed Beige Book

Stock futures lower ahead of data, Fed Beige Book
Analysts keeping an eye on Hurricane Isaac
MADRID (MarketWatch) — U.S. stock-market futures eased on Wednesday, as investors look to a fresh batch of economic data, including the Federal Reserve’s Beige-Book report, for direction and await a speech by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke due at the end of the week.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (CBOT JU2) fell 6 points to 13,080, while those for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index (GLC:SPU2) slipped 0.6 point to 1,407.20.

Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index (CME:NDU2) fell 0.75 point to 2,780.

Range-bound trading plagued Wall Street stocks on Tuesday in what’s viewed as the last week of summer trading. The Dow Industrials (DJI JIA) fell 21.68 points, or 0.2%, to close at 13,102.99. The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ:COMP) managed a gain, finishing up 3.95 points, or 0.1%, to 3,077.14.

The lack of direction is due to the fact that investors are waiting for Friday’s speech by Bernanke at the Kansas City Fed’s annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Labor Day, a holiday for U.S. markets, also looms next Monday.
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