Stock Futures Are Flat Ahead of a Key Inflation Data Week for Wall Street and the Kickoff of Second-Quarter Earnings Season

Stock futures were not much changed on Sunday night as investors prepared for Wednesday's and Thursday's inflation data and the beginning of the second quarter earnings season.

Futures linked to the

Dow Jones Industrial Average

The decline was 0.01% or 2 points.

Nasdaq 100

You can also find out more about the following:

S&P futures

The same was true for the other categories.

The data for this week follows the Federal Open Market Committee's decision to skip a rate increase at its meeting in June. Wednesday morning will see the release of the consumer price index. The central bank's preferred measure of wholesale price pressures - the producer price indicator - is scheduled for Thursday.

The stock market is heading into a brand new week following a week that ended lower due to the jobs data released by ADP and Labor Department.

Investors signaled despite the non-farm payrolls growing somewhat slower, that the Federal Reserve should continue to raise benchmark interest rates despite the still churning economic conditions.

As a result, all three major indexes suffered losses in the past week. The S&P 500 fell by 1.16% while the Nasdaq Composite, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all dropped by 0.92%, 1.96% and 1.96% respectively.

Investors also have to take into account a number of quarterly reports. BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo will report to kick-off the second quarter earnings season.

Morgan Stanley's Edward Stanley, in a note sent to investors on Sunday, wrote: "We think S&P 500 earnings are going to be under significant pressure for the remainder of the year. We believe earnings will enter a recession." The reason is negative operational leverage -- when sales growth exceeds cost growth, earnings growth suffers a severe hit.

Stock futures open little unchanged

The stock futures opened Sunday with little change, ahead of the two important inflation reports due this week.

Futures linked to the

Dow Jones Industrial Average

The slipping 3 points or 0.01%. Both

Nasdaq 100

You can also find out more about the following:

S&P futures

The flat.

The June consumer price index is expected to be released on Wednesday morning.

Brian Evans