The markets were looking calm ahead of the opening bell Monday, as investors take a breather after two weeks of losses.
U.S. stock futures were flat, and trading could be quiet with no major corporate or economic reports on the agenda. Investors remained sidelined as talk that the Federal Reserve could begin tapering its bond buying program pushes bond yields higher.
Quarterly results are due later in the week from companies including J.C. Penney (JCP), Target (TGT) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ).
U.S. stocks finished slightly lower Friday.
The markets took a large drop Thursday, leaving the Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 with losses in excess of 2% for the week. It was the second consecutive week of losses.
However, it's worth noting that the major indexes are still up by 15% to 20% for the year.
Related: Investors look to emerge from rough patch
European markets were mixed in midday trading.
Asian markets ended mixed results. Both the Shanghai Composite index and Japan's Nikkei bumped up by 0.8%. Stocks in Hong Kong declined by 0.3%.
