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February 19, 2014

Stocks: Struggling to get going

By CNNMoney

Markets may struggle to get going again Wednesday as investors wait for more quarterly results to pile in.

U.S. stock futures were little changed ahead of the opening bell.

Investors are waiting for Spirit Airlines and Garmin to report earnings before the bell.

Tesla will report earnings after the close. The electronic car maker already said it sold a higher number of its Model S sedan in the fourth quarter.

Crocs and Marriott International are also slated to report after the closing bell.

Some analysts say markets should brace themselves for greater volatility this year after a bumpy start to 2014.

"Sentiment may still be fragile after the big gains in equities over the past year and a half," noted Gary Thayer, chief macro strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors. "Further price volatility is likely in the weeks and months ahead."

The broader stock market barely budged Tuesday, as investors digested the latest batch of earnings and a big drug company merger.

But tech stocks remain on a hot streak. The Nasdaq has gained for the past eight days, reaching its highest level since January 2000.

On the economic front, the U.S. Census Bureau will release its monthly report on housing starts and building permits at 8:30 a.m. ET and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its monthly report on the producer price index, also at 8:30 a.m.

The Federal Open Markets Committee will release the minutes of its January meeting at 2 p.m.

European markets were a touch weaker in morning trading.

In Ukraine, the currency was under pressure as more than 20 people died during anti-government protests.

Asian markets were mostly rising, except for Japan's Nikkei, which dipped down by 0.5%.

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