Early indications point to slow start Tuesday, as commodity prices slip and investors brace for a busy week of economic news. Forty-five minutes before the opening bell on Wall Street, stock index futures indicate that the Dow Jones Industrial Average might lose 20 points in early trading.

Investors return from the three-day weekend to find little news to guide the early action Tuesday morning. The S&P Case Shiller Home Price Index is due out at 9:00 eastern time. Economists expect to see a decline of 18.4 percent for March.

A report on consumer confidence is scheduled for 10:00. Economists expect to see improvement, to 42 in May, up from 39.2 the month before.

Now that the earnings-reporting season is winding down, economic data is likely to drive trading this week. Existing home sales numbers are due out Wednesday. Thursday holds reports on durable goods, jobless claims and new home sales. GDP and manufacturing data will set the tone for trading Friday morning.

Some of the energy and other commodity-related stocks might slip in early trading Tuesday after crude oil lost $1.30 to $60.37 a barrel and gold gave up $10 to $948.90 an ounce.

General Motors (GM) will be in focus this week as it faces a series of deadlines, including a meeting today with the United Auto Workers to determine how many more jobs cuts would be needed to avert bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions are heightened after North Korea test-fired two short-range missiles Tuesday. The move comes a day after it tested three short-range missiles and a nuclear device Monday.

Bonds are seeing a modest safety-bid in early trading. The benchmark ten-year Treasury is up 9/32nda and yields 3.4 percent. The buck is steady at 94.80 on the yen. The euro fell .0083 to 1.3920 on the dollar.