By William Watts, MarketWatch

Stock-index futures pointed to a higher start for Wall Street on Monday as investors adjusted expectations around a widely anticipated rate cut by the Federal Reserve at the end of the month and braced for a deluge of corporate results after a strong start to earnings season.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 57 points, or 0.2%, to 27,187, while S&P 500 futures were up 7.6 points, or 0.2%, at 2,984.50. Nasdaq-100 futures gained 28.75 points, or 0.4%, to trade at 7,871.50.

"Investor optimism has been supported by a better-than-expected start to the Q2 EPS reporting season, as well as the ongoing possibility of a rate cut by the end of the month," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA, in a Monday note.

Major stock indexes ended lower on Friday, leaving them with weekly losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.7% last week, while the S&P 500 declined 1.2% and the Nasdaq Composite lost 1.2%.

The pullback left the S&P 500 1.3% below its record close set on July 15, while the Dow is off 0.8% from its closing record and the Nasdaq is down 1.4% from its high-water closing mark.

Stocks were bruised late last week as investors scaled back expectations for a half-point rate cut after the New York Federal Reserve emphasized that dovishly interpreted remarks by its president (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/feds-wisest-strategy-is-to-cut-interest-rates-at-first-sign-of-economic-distress-williams-says-2019-07-18), John Williams, weren't about potential policy actions at the next Fed meeting. Also, The Wall Street Journal on Friday, (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sp-500-turns-negative-after-report-indicates-a-25-basis-point-cut-at-july-fed-meeting-2019-07-19) (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sp-500-turns-negative-after-report-indicates-a-25-basis-point-cut-at-july-fed-meeting-2019-07-19) (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sp-500-turns-negative-after-report-indicates-a-25-basis-point-cut-at-july-fed-meeting-2019-07-19)citing public remarks and interviews, reported Fed officials were (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sp-500-turns-negative-after-report-indicates-a-25-basis-point-cut-at-july-fed-meeting-2019-07-19)signaling a quarter-point cut when policy makers meet July 30-31.

After a strong start to earnings season last week, investors will see results from 144 S&P 500 companies and a third of Dow components this week.

Shares of energy services firm Haliburton Co.(HAL) were up in premarket activity Monday after the company reported second-quarter profit that topped expectations (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/halliburtons-stock-gains-after-profit-beats-expectations-but-revenue-fell-a-bit-shy-2019-07-22). Heavyweights due to report in the week ahead include Facebook Inc.(FB), Coca-Cola Co.(KO), Caterpillar Inc.(CAT) and McDonald's Corp.(MCD).

Read:Forget the Fed -- stock-market investors brace for Dow's busiest week of earnings (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/forget-the-fed-stock-market-investors-brace-for-dows-busiest-week-of-earnings-2019-07-20)

"So far in 2Q19 reporting season, 79% of the S&P 500 results that have come in have beaten consensus EPS expectations (down from 83% in our last update) while 63% have beaten consensus on sales (down from 75% in our last update)," wrote Lori Calvasina, head of U.S. equity strategy at RBC Capital Markets. "Despite the slippage, EPS beats are still near the high end of their historical range, and both EPS and sales beats are still tracking well above the 1Q19 reporting season."

Analysts said investors will also be focusing on results and management commentary for concerns over the global economic outlook and the impact of the U.S.-China trade war on performance and outlook.

Read:Here are the 9 S&P 500 companies blaming the trade war for performance or outlook, so far (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/earnings-season-here-are-the-9-sp-500-companies-blaming-the-trade-war-for-performance-or-outlook-so-far-2019-07-19)

Oil futures were up strongly on Monday as tensions between Iran and Western nations rose following Tehran's announcement on Friday that it had seized a British-flagged oil tanker (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/iran-says-its-seizure-of-british-ship-a-reciprocal-move-2019-07-20).

See:Iran seizes British-flagged oil tanker -- here's what you need to know about the Strait of Hormuz (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/strait-of-hormuz-oil-choke-point-in-focus-as-trump-says-us-downed-iranian-drone-2019-07-18)

The economic calendar (http://www.marketwatch.com/tools/calendars/economic) is light on Monday, with the Chicago national activity index set for release at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Data on June existing home sales is due Tuesday, with figure for new-home sales set for Wednesday. June durable-goods orders and trade figures are scheduled for Thursday, while a read on second-quarter gross domestic product is due on Friday.

Check out:The economy is likely to get a mediocre grade on its next report card, but don't take it at face value (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-economy-is-likely-to-get-a-mediocre-grade-on-its-next-report-card-but-dont-take-it-at-face-value-2019-07-20)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 22, 2019 07:21 ET (11:21 GMT)