Stocks: Rally losing momentum?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

U.S. stock futures were pointing to a softer start Tuesday as investors consolidate recent gains and look for reasons to push markets to even higher peaks.

S&P futures edged down, while Dow Jones industrial average futures traded flat.

Stocks have surged this year thanks to a slowly recovering economy and continued bond buying from the Fed, leaving the major U.S. indexes sitting at or near record highs.

It's a light corporate news and economic calendar Tuesday, with quarterly results earnings before the bell due from DISH Network (DISH, Fortune 500) and Yingli Green Energy (YGE).

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U.S. markets eked out narrow gains Monday.

European markets were also mixed in morning trading. London's FTSE 100 opened down 0.1%, while Germany's Dax gained 0.1%.

Most Asian markets closed on a positive note. Japan's Nikkei spiked 2.2% after official data showed a better-than-expected current account balance.

China's Shanghai Composite was up 0.8%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dropped 0.7% before the end of a major Chinese government meeting.