U.S. stock futures headed lower this morning, indicating a similar start for stocks ahead of services industry data and as banks remain in focus.

Yesterday, U.S. stocks finished the day mixed snapping Monday's rally that found the Dow closing at a record level. Data on pending home sales showed no sign of recovery in the ailing housing market and investors started to doubt the possibility of future rate cuts. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 40.2 points, or 0.29% as did the S&P 500 with a 0.41 points decline or 0.03%. The Nasdaq composite finished the day up 6.1 points or 0.22%.

Today, ISM services for September is due at 10 a.m. EDT and is expected to fall to 55 in September, from 55.8 last month, according to briefing.com. This reading is important as services account for 80% of U.S. economic activity. Should the service sector show weakness, the reading may support the case for a further rate cut and stocks may yet rise today.

The government will release its weekly fuel inventory report at 10:30 a.m. EDT. Oil futures held above $80 a barrel today ahead of the inventory report after falling for three straight days from the near-record levels of last Thursday. Many analysts say last week's rally was mostly fueled by the weak dollar and not necessarily by supply and demand fundamentals of the oil market. Analysts expect that crude inventories fell by around 400,000 barrels in the week ended Sept. 28, while gasoline inventories grew 400,000 barrels.

The dollar has been rebounding against several currencies, though, and dollar-denominated commodities have become less of a bargain. Today the dollar strengthened against the yen, but lost ground again against the euro.

Overseas, Asian markets were mixed, European markets are mostly higher.

After warning from UBS and Citigroup yesterday of earnings hit due to charges, today Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB) announced that losses related to the U.S. subprime crisis, would offset better-than-expected gains from asset sales and tax credits, with third-quarter net profit expected to reach $1.98 billion, better than a year ago. This despite a charge of as much as $991.6 million on its leveraged loans and loan commitments, the German bank said it would take, in addition to the $2.27 billion it took in the second quarter. DB shares are up over 2% in premarket trading.

Micron Technology (NYSE: MU) shares are down nearly 3% in premarket trading after the company reported earnings last night. Micron posted a fiscal fourth-quarter net loss after a year-ago profit, mainly because of lower selling prices for its memory products.