Friday's looming employment report for November further frayed the nerves of already jumpy investors.
"The market is likely to get a little skittish today ahead of tomorrow's employment report," said Marc Pado, U.S. equity strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald.
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WMT 55.74,
+1.36,
+2.5%) proved the exception, with sales last month up 3.4% at the discount retailer as lower gasoline prices boosted consumers' discretionary spending.
Crude moves
Crude-oil futures fell for a fifth straight session to near four-year lows, with oil for January delivery dropping 51 cents to $47.81 a barrel in early action on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
See Futures Movers.
Elsewhere on Nymex, gold futures reversed early losses, with the February contract rising from two-week lows and recently up $2.9 to $773.4 an ounce.
Read Metals Stocks.
Treasury prices gained slightly, pushing yields towards multi-decade lows, with 10-year note yields
(UST10Y: U.S. Treasury 10 Year
Equities offered little reaction to data from the Commerce Department showing factory orders fell 5.1% in October, the largest drop since 2000.
Ahead of the opening bell, the Labor Department released data showing initial jobless claims dropped to a one-month low, while a less-volatile average climbed to a 16-year high.
Read Economic Report. Overseas, European shares fell in the wake of anticipated rate cuts from both the European Central Bank and the Bank of England.
Read Europe Markets.
Kate Gibson is a reporter for MarketWatch, based in New York.
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