1. Global stocks await Trump speech

U.S. stock market futures pointed to a muted open near all-time highs on Monday morning, as investors looked ahead to President Donald Trump's speech to Congress on Tuesday, where he is expected to provide clues on his plans to cut taxes.

President Trump has been credited with being a major catalyst behind the stock market's impressive rally in recent weeks, although he has yet to outline his economic policies in detail.

In Europe, stocks were mixed in mid-morning trade, but held near their best levels since late 2015.

Earlier, in Asia, markets ended mostly lower, with the Shanghai Composite in China closing down around 0.8%, while Japan's Nikkei dropped about 0.9%.

2. Dollar little changed

The dollar was little changed against the other major currencies on Monday as traders avoided taking strong positions before President Trump’s address to Congress, a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and important economic data this week.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was steady at 101.05 in New York morning trade.

Against the yen, the dollar added 0.1% to 112.24, after falling to a low of 111.92 earlier in the session, its lowest since February 9.

Meanwhile, the euro was up 0.2% on the day at 1.0582, as concerns about France's upcoming election eased following favorable opinion polls for independent presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron.

3. Pound plunges on Scottish vote fears

The GBP dropped against all its major peers on Monday, following a report of a possible Scottish independence referendum in March.

GBP/USD slipped 0.3% to 1.2428, after touching a daily low of 1.2385, a level not seen since February 15, while EUR/GBP gained 0.3% to 0.8515.

Sterling was pressured after The Times reported that U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is preparing for the Scottish government to call a second independence referendum, which will reportedly coincide with the triggering of Article 50 expected in March.

On Friday, the pound began to slide after the Independent newspaper reported the Scottish government is seriously considering a second independence referendum next year.

4. Trump to meet with health insurers

President Donald Trump will meet with top executives from the health insurance industry at the White House on Monday.

Cigna's chief executive officer, David Cordani, and Humana CEO Bruce Broussard are among a group of industry leaders due to meet with the president. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, which represents insurers in every state, will also attend.

Trump has pledged to repeal and replace Obamacare, former President Barack Obama's national healthcare law that redesigned the U.S. insurance market for individuals. It is not clear yet what Republicans will agree upon to replace the current insurance. Insurers say any new plans are not likely to hit the market before 2019.