By Victor Reklaitis, MarketWatch , Ryan Vlastelica

Analyst: 'We have seen investors escape into U.S. tech stocks, but that may be starting to run its course'

U.S. stock-index futures pointed to a lower open on Monday, putting the Dow industrials on track for a fifth straight negative session as trade-war fears continued to dog global markets.

What are the main benchmarks doing?

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gave up 212 points, or 0.8%, to 24,899, while S&P 500 futures shed 18 points, or 0.6%, to 2,766.25. Nasdaq-100 futures fell by 53 points, or 0.7%, to 7,229.

On Friday, the Dow closed lower for a fourth straight day and notched a weekly drop of 0.9% (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dow-futures-tumble-140-points-as-trade-fight-ratchets-up-2018-06-15). The S&P 500 and tech-laden Nasdaq Composite also finished in the red Friday, but ended in the green for the week.

The Dow is up 1.5% for the year as of Friday's close, while the S&P has gained 4%, though each stock-market gauge remains below its January record close. The Nasdaq is up 12% for the year and just below an all-time closing high hit Thursday.

What's driving markets?

Markets remain fixated on how trade-related disagreements (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-only-dark-cloud-over-the-us-economy-is-trumps-trade-fights-with-well-everybody-2018-06-16) between the U.S. and China are escalating. President Donald Trump on Friday announced tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-announces-china-tariffs-says-us-will-pursue-more-if-china-retaliates-2018-06-15), and Beijing retaliated by targeting high-value American exports (https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-announces-tariffs-on-50-billion-of-goods-from-china-1529065534?mod=mktw).

See:Stock-market investors see China tariffs as a 'buzzkill' (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/stock-market-investors-see-china-tariffs-as-a-buzzkill-and-are-acting-as-if-a-genuine-trade-war-just-erupted-2018-06-15)

What are strategists saying?

"The tit-for-tat response is putting the two powers a step closer to an all-out global trade war," said Jasper Lawler, head of research at London Capital Group, in a note.

"The overriding concern here is how this is going to escalate with potential fallout being a slowdown in world trade and a drop in business sentiment. Up until now, we have seen investors escape into U.S. tech stocks, but that may be starting to run its course," he said.

What are other markets doing?

European stocks traded lower, after Asian markets largely end with losses (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nikkei-leads-asian-markets-lower-amid-us-china-trade-tensions-2018-06-17), though Chinese markets were shut for a holiday.

Gold futures gained, the U.S. oil benchmark (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-oil-gauge-drops-while-brent-crude-rallies-2018-06-18)dropped, and the ICE U.S. Dollar Index was little changed.

Which economic reports are on tap?

A June reading for a U.S. housing market index is slated to hit at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

Check out:MarketWatch's Economic Calendar (http://www.marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic)

On the Federal Reserve front, incoming New York Fed President John Williams is due to speak in New York at 4 p.m. Eastern at a conference focused on reforming behavior in financial services.

Which stocks are in focus?

Shares in Tesla Inc. (TSLA)could see active trading after CEO Elon Musk showed off (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/elon-musk-shows-off-new-tesla-production-line-and-its-in-a-tent-2018-06-17) the electric-car maker's newest production line in a weekend tweet. He also predicted (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/elon-musk-says-tesla-shorts-will-get-blown-up-he-even-predicted-exactly-when-2018-06-18) that those who are short on Tesla--meaning that they are betting for the stock to decline--"have about three weeks before their short position explodes."

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (VRX.T) sank 5% in premarket trading after the Food and Drug Administration failed to approve (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/valeant-shares-drop-5-after-fda-fails-to-approve-plaque-psoriasis-lotion-2018-06-18) a lotion product intended to treat plaque psoriasis.

U.S.-listed shares of Chinese e-commerce retailer JD.com Inc. (JD) jumped 5.9% in heavy trading before the bell after Google invested $550 million in the company (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/google-invests-550-million-in-chinese-e-commerce-company-jdcom-2018-06-18). Google is a division of Alphabet Inc(GOOGL)

Solid Biosciences Inc. (SLDB) said the Food and Drug Administration had lifted its clinical hold (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/solid-biosciences-says-fda-has-removed-clinical-hold-on-sgt-001-dmd-treatment-2018-06-18-7912417) on the company's treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, allowing a Phase 1/11 trial to resume.

Rent-A-Center Inc. (RCII) surged 20% in premarket trading after it agreed to be taken private (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rent-a-center-to-be-taken-private-by-vintage-capital-in-deal-valued-at-about-14-billion-2018-06-18) by Vintage Capital, a private and public equity firm, in a deal valued at about $1.365 billion.

Ziopharm Oncology Inc. (ZIOP) fell 7% in premarket trading after the Food and Drug Administration placed a clinical hold (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ziopharm-oncology-shares-slide-7-premarket-after-fda-places-clinical-hold-on-cancer-trial-2018-06-18) on a Phase 1 trial of a treatment for cancer.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 18, 2018 09:10 ET (13:10 GMT)