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The week got off to a roaring start, but markets look set to end it with a whimper.

Here are 4 tips for today's trading. This will help you decide where you should invest and what to look for:

1) Happy Friday?

There's a generally negative mood in the markets right now.

U.S. stock futures are edging down and European markets are dipping in early trading. Asian markets closed with mixed results.

This comes after stock markets soared Tuesday when U.S. traders returned from the Labor Day long weekend.

2) Oil falls again

In commodities, crude oil futures are dipping by about 2% to trade around $45 per barrel. The chances of another slump in prices to near $20 per barrel are rising, Goldman Sachs said in a new report Friday. But the supply glut should ease in 2016 as OPEC's rivals -- and in particular the U.S. -- slash production, the International Energy Agency said.

3) Earnings and economics

A few companies will open their earnings books before Friday trading begins. Mattress Firm (MFRM) and Kroger (KR) are among them.

On the economic side, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its producer price index for August at 8:30 a.m. ET. This index is a key inflation indicator. Prices were up 0.2% in July.

Then, at 10 a.m. ET, the University of Michigan will put out September's consumer sentiment index.

4) Russian rates

Russia's central bank is set to make a decision on interest rates at around 6:30 a.m. ET. The benchmark interest rate is currently set at 11% and has come down from a recent high of 17%.

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What is it? It's a leading indicator of consumer inflation - when producers charge more for goods and services the higher costs are usually passed on to the consumer.

When? At 8:30am Eastern Time.

Trading Tip: If the actual number is higher than the forecast, you can expect the USD to rise.

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What is it? Financial confidence is a leading indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for a majority of overall economic activity.

When? At 8:30am Eastern Time.

Trading Tip: If the actual number is higher than the forecast, you can expect the USD to rise.

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1. U.S. stocks wavered Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average struggling to maintain early gains after global shares dropped, while weak data out of China and Japan -- the world’s second and third-largest economies -- heightened concerns about slowing global growth. Stocks continued their wild roller-coaster ride Thursday, extended the previous day’s losses, where U.S. stocks plunged sharply in the final minutes of trading Wednesday, sending the Dow nearly 240 points lower by the day's end.

2. The dollar remained steady against the other major currencies on Thursday after data showing that Initial jobless claims ticked lower last week as uncertainty over whether the Federal Reserve will hike rates this month continued to weigh.

3. Brazil's financial markets fell on Thursday after Standard & Poor's cut the country's sovereign rating to junk late Wednesday, though assets began to pare losses in late morning trading as the downgrade had been largely priced in.

4. The U.S. labor market appeared to gain momentum in early September as fewer Americans filed for weekly unemployment benefits, but weak inflation pressures may complicate the Federal Reserve's decision whether to raise interest rates. The number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. fell in line with expectations last week, remaining in territory consistent with a strengthening labor market, official data showed on Thursday.

5. U.S. stocks were little changed at the open on Thursday amid fears of slowing global growth ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate meeting next week. Global markets were under pressure after data showed a drop in producer prices and car sales in China and slowing capital spending in Japan.

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