Spread betters in London are calling the FTSE 100 , Cac-40 , and Dax indexes anywhere between 25 points lower and 4 points higher.
* The FTSE Eurofirst 300 index of leading European shares closed 0.9 percent lower on Friday, knocked off an earlier 2-1/2 year peak of 1,044 points after AstraZeneca announced a setback for a key drug hope, and oil prices surged nearly 2 percent.
* Negative reports from drugmakers and a sharp rise in oil prices also pushed U.S. stocks lower last Friday.
* U.S. Treasuries prices dipped in Asia after slipping late last week on technical selling, despite a CPI report soothing some inflation worries.
Benchmark U.S. 10-year yields were trading at around 4.21 percent.
Comparable 10-year European government bonds yielded 3.61. Double click here [nL17499728] for the latest Treasury market report and here for the latest of euro zone debt reports.
* Oil prices held above $46 a barrel.
* The dollar was little changed but the market saw no end to the U.S. currency's weakening trend.
* In Tokyo, the Nikkei average was up slightly.
* Other Asian indexes like the Kospi , Hang Seng and Straits Times were mixed.
* Gold held steady in narrow ranges in Asia.