With three scheduled appearances by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and reports about last month's consumer and producer prices on the calendar, markets are getting braced for plenty of clues about the central bank's inflation-fighting campaign this week.
Bernanke will make the first of those appearances Monday afternoon, with subsequent speeches on Tuesday and Thursday.
Following his market-busting comments last Monday, analysts are anxious the Fed chief may tip his hand about the bank's rate-hiking program.
The dollar edged higher against the euro and the yen before the Bernanke speech.
Crude-oil futures advanced past $72 a barrel.