Stock Futures Point to Higher Open

U.S. stocks looked to rebound Monday after central banks around the world pour billions into the markets to stave off a credit crunch.After enduring sharp swings to the downside, the Dow Jones industrials and other major indexes ultimately finished the week with a gain, and stock futures on Monday pointed to an extension of those gains when trading begins. Investors will be eyeing this week's economic data, as well as any further moves by the Federal Reserve or European Central Bank to cushion the global banking system with additional liquidity.Asian financial markets stabilized on Monday after central banks in the region added modestly to the liquidity injections.Dow futures expiring in September rose 70, or 0.50 percent, to 13,307, while Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 10.00, or 0.69 percent, to 1,461.00. Nasdaq 100 index futures advanced 10.25, or 0.53 percent, to 1,939.25.Although investors seemed to be in a better humor Monday, there was still a great deal of uncertainty in the market because there is still no way of knowing the extent of problems in the subprime mortgage sector. Defaults among subprime mortgage holders -- people with poor credit -- began the chain of events that led to the turmoil on Wall Street and other stock markets the past few weeks.The dollar was mixed against other major world currencies. Gold futures slipped in premarket activity, while crude oil prices rose in electronic trading.In economic news, the Commerce Department on Monday reports retail sales for July and business inventories for June. Investors will also monitor two key barometers of inflation -- the Labor Department's Producer Price Index on Tuesday and Consumer Price Index on Wednesday. Because the Fed has made it clear as recently as last week that its primary concern is fighting inflation, Wall Street could react poorly if the PPI or CPI comes in higher than expected.In corporate news, private equity firm Blackstone Group LP is scheduled to report results for the second quarter on Monday. The company's much-anticipated initial public offering in June raised about $4 billion, but the stock has fallen short of expectations.