Stock market today, August 6, 2014: U.S. stock futures were in the red this morning as investors are concerned about renewed geopolitical tensions in Europe. Dow Jones futures were down 51 points, Nasdaq futures slumped 21 points, and S&P 500 futures were down 7 points.
New fears have emerged that Russian soldiers are gathering at the eastern Ukraine border, after heavy fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists erupted in the city of Donetsk. In addition, German manufacturing orders slumped in June by 3.2% from the previous month, a sign that increased problems in Eastern Europe have begun to take their toll on the EU's top economy.
In the last trading session, the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX), which gauges investment fear, jumped roughly 11.5% on the day.
Here are the top news stories to watch that will affect the stock market today:
Full U.S. Economic Calendar August 6, 2014 (NYSE: all times EDT)
Junior gold miners are up as much as 45.8% this year, and there's a lot more in store. Money Morning Resource Specialist Peter Krauth is excited about this northern metals boom - he thinks it'll give investors more than ten times the returns of the S&P 500...