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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- U.S. stocks were headed for a lower start Tuesday, following declines in global markets on lingering economic worries. Investors were also anticipating a weak report on the housing market.
Dow Jones industrial average (INDU), S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq (COMP) futures were down. Futures measure current index values against perceived future performance.
Stocks ended a choppy session lower Monday, after concerns about the economy cooled upbeat sentiment tied to a recent spate of corporate dealmaking.
"There's a huge amount of frustration about the speed of the recovery and concerns that it has hit a wall, said Tom Speiss, head of personal wealth advisers at Eisner LLP. "I'm expecting the market to move laterally following downward trends in Asia and Europe."
Economy: Housing will take center stage after the market opens, when the National Association of Realtors reports on sales of existing homes.
Economists surveyed by Briefing.com expect a drop to an annual rate of 4.72 million units in July, from 5.37 million in June.
Companies: Barnes & Noble (BKS, Fortune 500), which put itself up for sale earlier this month, reports quarterly earnings before the opening bell.
Analysts expect the bookseller to report a fiscal first-quarter loss of 80 cents per share, versus a profit of 14 cents per share a year ago.
World markets: European shares sank in early trading. The CAC 40 in France fell 1.4%, Britain's FTSE 100 lost 1.1%, and the DAX in Germany fell 1%.
Asian markets ended mixed. Japan's benchmark Nikkei index ended down 1.3% and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 1.1%. But the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.4%.
Currencies and commodities: The dollar fell to a 15-year low against the Japanese yen, but climbed against the euro and the British pound.
Oil futures for October delivery fell 95 cents to $72.15 a barrel. Gold for December delivery slipped $8 to $1,220.50 an ounce.
Bonds: Prices for Treasurys were higher. The yield on the 10-year note fell to 2.55% from 2.61% late Monday. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions. The U.S. Treasury will offer $37 billion worth of 2-year notes on Tuesday. 
| Overnight Avg Rate | Latest | Change | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 yr fixed | 3.89% | 3.88% | |
| 15 yr fixed | 3.21% | 3.21% | |
| 5/1 ARM | 2.87% | 2.88% | |
| 30 yr refi | 3.96% | 3.96% | |
| 15 yr refi | 3.30% | 3.29% |
Today's featured rates:
| Index | Last | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 12,884.03 | 82.80 | 0.65% |
| Nasdaq | 2,932.10 | 28.22 | 0.97% |
| S&P 500 | 1,352.64 | 10.00 | 0.74% |
| Treasuries | 2.00 | 0.03 | 1.42% |
| Company | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America Corp... | 8.30 | 0.22 | 2.79% |
| Sprint Nextel Corp | 2.32 | 0.02 | 1.09% |
| Cisco Systems Inc | 20.01 | 0.12 | 0.58% |
| General Electric Co | 19.06 | 0.19 | 1.00% |
| Ford Motor Co | 12.60 | 0.16 | 1.29% |
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