U.S. stocks are expected to open lower on Monday, reversing the gains made on Friday. This shift in sentiment is likely due to rising bond yields ahead of Wednesday’s key inflation report. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), a measure of investor anxiety, also rose sharply and currently sits above 16. While the recent market weakness may entice some investors to buy the dip, many may choose to wait until after Wednesday’s inflation reports for more clarity. These reports, along with a regional Federal Reserve consumer expectations survey and scheduled Fed speeches, will be closely watched by investors this week. Futures Performance On Monday ( as of 6:20 a.m. EDT) Futures Performance (+/-) Nasdaq 100 -0.12% S&P 500 -0.15% Dow -0.08% R2K -0.27% In premarket trading on Monday, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) edged down 0.04% to $518.12, and the Invesco QQQ ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ) slipped 0.03% to $440.34 according to Benzinga Pro data. Cues From Last Week: Strong economic data and comments from Fed officials that poured cold water on rate-cut expectations triggered weakness in the week ended April 5. Curiously enough, stronger-than-expected payroll gains for March were largely ignored by traders on Friday as they piled back into stocks, taking advantage of the ...