Futures Pointing To Early Strength On Wall Street

(RTTNews) - After turning in a strong performance last week, stocks could see some further upside in early trading on Monday. The major index futures are currently pointing to a higher open for the markets, with the Dow futures up by 69 points.

Stocks may continue to benefit from a positive reaction to last Friday's monthly jobs report, which showed stronger than expected job growth in the month of July.

The increased optimism about the economic outlook seemed to overshadow concerns that the data may lead the Federal Reserve to begin scaling back its stimulus program.

Nonetheless, trading activity may be somewhat subdued, as some traders are likely to remain away from their desks following last week's Independence Day holiday.

Uncertainty about the upcoming earnings season may also keep some traders on the sidelines, with Alcoa (AA) scheduled to release its second quarter results after the close of trading.

The release of quarterly results from Alcoa is seen as the unofficial start of earnings season, as the aluminum giant is traditionally the first Dow component to report its results.