It has been one full week since the Dow and S&P 500 hit record highs, but investors seem happy enough in their current holding pattern.
U.S. stock futures were little changed ahead of the opening bell.
Investors will have some mixed results and guidance from retailers to consider.
Dow component Home Depot (HD) reported improved earnings that were a bit better than forecasts and it raised its guidance for the full-year results.
But office supply retailer Staples (SPLS) reported a bigger than expected drop in earnings and warned that results in the current period are likely to fall short of estimates. Its shares plunged 5% on the news.
Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) is due to report results before the opening bell, while Intuit (INTU) and Salesforce.com (CRM) will report after the close.
Shares of Urban Outfitters (URBN) were lower in extended trading Monday after the retailer said quarterly profit fell compared to the same period last year.
While markets seem to be lacking any clear direction, the CNNMoney Fear & Greed index indicates that investors continue to feel fearful.
There was a bit more action in international markets, with Credit Suisse (CS)shares rising by about 2% in Europe after the firm pleaded guilty to charges related to U.S. tax evasion. The Swiss bank agreed to pay $2.6 billion to settle a long-running probe.
Vodafone (VOD) shares declined by about 4% in London after the company released full-year earnings results.
Overall, most European markets were edging lower in midday trading. Asian markets ended the day on a positive note, though gains were small.
Bangkok stocks were relatively sanguine after the Thai army surprised the country by declaring martial law.
U.S. stocks ended higher Monday. The Dow added 20 points while the S&P 500 closed about 0.4% higher. The Nasdaq had the best start to the week, closing up by almost 0.9%.
