The week got off to a roaring start, but markets look set to end it with a whimper.
Here are the four things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:
1. Happy Friday?: There's a generally negative mood in the markets right now.
U.S. stock futures are edging down and European markets are dipping in early trading. Asian markets closed with mixed results.
This comes after stock markets soared Tuesday when U.S. traders returned from the Labor Day long weekend.
2. Oil falls again: In commodities, crude oil futures are dipping by about 2% to trade around $45 per barrel. The chances of another slump in prices to near $20 per barrel are rising, Goldman Sachs said in a new report Friday. But the supply glut should ease in 2016 as OPEC's rivals -- and in particular the U.S. -- slash production, the International Energy Agency said.
3. Earnings and economics: A few companies will open their earnings books before Friday trading begins. Mattress Firm (MFRM) and Kroger (KR) are among them.
On the economic side, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its producer price index for August at 8:30 a.m. ET. This index is a key inflation indicator. Prices were up 0.2% in July.
Then, at 10 a.m. ET, the University of Michigan will put out September's consumer sentiment index.
4. Russian rates: Russia's central bank is set to make a decision on interest rates at around 6:30 a.m. ET. The benchmark interest rate is currently set at 11% and has come down from a recent high of 17%.
