Stocks poised for a lower start as investors mull future rate hikes

U.S. stocks are set to decline at the open of trading Monday morning despite Friday's better-than-expected jobs data showed the fewest job losses since the start of the recession. Investors are concerned that the Federal Reserve may tighten interest rates ahead of estimates.

So far, the Fed has maintained it would keep rates near zero as long as the labor market remains strained. But if the economy is improving, the Fed may have to raise rates soon to protect against inflation. This pushed the dollar higher, while gold and oil prices fell.

More here: Before the bell: Futures decline as concerns over interest rates mount