1. Stock markets, Fed overview

Stocks in Europe and U.S. futures were muted on Monday after a mixed session in Asia as heightened geopolitical tensions over Syria and North Korea kept investors on edge.

At 10.00 GMT, the benchmark Euro Stoxx 50 lost 0.29%, while Germany's DAX slid 0.14% and London’s FTSE 100 was almost flat.

U.S. futures pointed to little change at the open ahead of the start of first-quarter earnings season later this week. The blue-chip Dow futures inched up 0.06%, S&P 500 futures traded up just 0.05% and the Nasdaq 100 futures were a touch higher, rising 0.05%.

Overnight in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei advanced 0.7%, while the Shanghai Composite declined 0.21%. Korea’s Kospi index ended down 0.9%, and the won weakened after the U.S. deployed an aircraft carrier group to the waters near the Korean peninsula.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is set to speak at the University of Michigan at 20:10 GMT.

Her comments will be monitored closely for any new insight on policy and the timing of when the Fed will next raise interest rates. The Fed chair could be asked about the U.S. central bank's plan to start shrinking its massive balance sheet, which ballooned to $4.5 trillion in wake of the financial crisis.

The Fed has not yet offered details on how it would reduce its holdings of Treasuries and mortgages but said it would like to start later this year.

2. Dollar index steady

The dollar was steady at 3-week highs against a basket of the other major currencies as investors remained focused on the Federal Reserve’s plans to tighten monetary policy, though geopolitical concerns tempered gains.

Investors also largely shrugged off Friday’s disappointing U.S. employment data after bad weather led to a slowdown in hiring.

USD/JPY was up 0.2% to 111.33, while sterling gained ground with GBP/USD rising 0.18% to 1.2388.

The euro touched fresh 1-month lows as investors continued to weigh political risk from the French presidential elections.

3. Oil holds above $55 a barrel

Oil prices rose on Monday, approaching the prior sessions’ one-month highs amid concerns over mounting geopolitical risk, but industry data pointing to another increase in U.S. output capped gains.

Global benchmark Brent futures were last up 39 cents or 0.69% to $55.61 a barrel, while U.S. crude oil was trading at $52.55 a barrel, up 32 cents or 0.63% from its last close.

Both U.S. crude and Brent rose more than 3% last week, notching up a second straight weekly increase.

But gains were held in check as oil traders continued to focus on the ongoing rebound in U.S. shale production, which could derail efforts by other major producers to reduce a global supply glut.

4. China and U.S. talks

China is set to offer concessions to the U.S., including better market access for financial sector investments and ending a ban on U.S. beef imports to help avert a trade war, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Friday that President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to a new 100-day plan for trade talks.