U.S. Stock Futures Are Lower While Concerns of Russia & Ukraine Continue to Dominate Headlines

U.S. stock futures are lower:  Expected talks between Russia and the U.S. over Ukraine will hopefully alleviate some investor gloom about geopolitical risks.  Primary equity futures are slightly down following yesterday’s precipitous decline.  Concerns regarding Russia and Ukraine continue to dominate the headlines and invariably investors’ sentiment; additionally, elevated inflation and the Feds potential hike remain another primary worry.  Treasury yields are lower this morning as another flight to safety trade is sending government bond prices higher.  Global energy prices trade correlated to the situation in Europe.  International markets are mainly lower and the potential meeting between Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov next week may yield a diplomatic solution.