Buckle Up!

Good morning. U.S. producer prices rose by a larger-than-expected +0.5% in June as core inflation increased +0.2% as expected. Higher energy and food prices accounted for most of the gain in June. Meanwhile, concerns over the Middle East, a rebound in oil and gold prices, and mixed earnings news have caused volatile, but relatively positive premarket trading. Oversold conditions are helping lend some positive support now.

Amid the various earnings reports, stocks moving higher in premarket trading include BDCO, AMTD, SORC, NTAP, PPDI, AQNT, FFIV, CRXL, NVDA, PALM, SINA, PAAS, EZM, AUY, and FCX. Notable premarket losers include INFY, CNC, TGT, EAG, FLOW, NBIX, IVAC, LOGI, PLCM, MICC, RMBS, BRCM, SANM, MGIC, and NTLI.

Will Bernanke do his level best to calm the markets this week? That, at least, seems to be the hope of the moment no matter what the economic reports clearly indicate. If premarket trading is providing a trustworthy clue, we're very likely to see increased volatility over the next few days as confusion among the herd remains widespread. Buckle up!