The unexpectedly strong U.S. jobs data on Friday have raised the stakes for the July U.S. consumer prices report due on Wednesday, especially for the Fed's policy outlook.
European markets were set for a lower open with the pan-region Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.16%, German DAX futures dropping 0.16% and FTSE futures falling 0.12%. U.S. stock futures, the S&P 500 e-minis, rose 0.22%. Japan's Nikkei slid 0.95%, hit by weak quarterly earnings by heavyweights and lowered expectations for the video game market, while Australian shares were up 0.06%.
There were some encouraging signs for the Fed on the prices front, with a New York Fed survey on Monday showing consumers' inflation expectations fell sharply in July.