Stocks: Ready to hold steady

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. stocks were expected to open little changed Tuesday, while world markets responded positively to indications that the Federal Reserve is prepared to keep interest rates at very low levels.
The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU), S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq (COMP) futures were slightly negative. Stock futures indicate the possible direction of the markets when they open at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Investors head into Tuesday's session mulling the latest data on the troubled housing market, and awaiting a new reading on consumer confidence that's on tap.

A slew of reports released last week suggest that the housing market remains a drag on an economy that otherwise shows signs of improving.
On top of home price data from the Case-Shiller 20-City Index, investors will also look at corporate results from homebuilder Lennar for a reading on the sector.
In the afternoon, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke will deliver a lecture at George Washington University, and a House Financial Services subcommittee will hold a hearing on aid to the eurozone.

Regional banks ready to rally

U.S. stocks rallied Monday, after Bernanke's comments on the job market gave investors reason to believe the central bank will keep interest rates low.
World markets: European stocks were mixed in afternoon trading. Britain's FTSE 100 (UKX) was unchanged, the DAX (DAX) in Germany rose 0.6% and France's CAC 40 (CAC40) dropped 0.2%.
Asian markets ended mixed. The Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) shed 0.2%, the Hang Seng (HSI) in Hong Kong gained 1.8% and Japan's Nikkei (N225) jumped 2.4%.
Economy: Home prices in 20 major cities fell to the lowest level since 2002, according to S&P/Case-Shiller.
The index for January dropped 3.8%, after a 4.1% drop in the month prior.
The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index for March is expected to come in at 70.1, according to a survey of analysts by Briefing.com, down from 70.8 in February.
Companies: Lennar (LEN) posted earnings of 8 cents per share on revenue of $725 million, figures that topped analysts' estimates. The homebuilder said it has seen an uptick in sales and new orders in the first quarter. Shares were up 4% on the news.
Drug-store chain Walgreen (WAG, Fortune 500) reported earnings of 78 cents a share on $18.7 billion in revenue, slightly better than analyst estimates. Shares were up by 0.4% in premarket trading.

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Shares of private education provider Apollo Group (APOL, Fortune 500) dropped 6% in premarket trading, despite reporting earnings late Monday that beat Wall Street estimates.
Currencies and commodities: The dollar strengthened against the euro, the British pound and the Japanese yen.
Oil for May delivery rose 16 cents to $107.19 a barrel.
Gold futures for April delivery increased $7.40 to $1,693 an ounce.
Bonds: The price on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury increased, pushing the yield down to 2.23% from 2.25% late Monday.

Strong gains make these media stocks must-haves

During rough economic times, media companies struggle even harder to capture the eyes and ears of the masses. However, last week�s phenomenal market surge — perhaps combined with the ending of the NBA lockout — has boosted media stocks considerably. Things are looking up for these titans of television and dukes of the digital.
I watch more than 5,000 publicly traded companies with my Portfolio Grader tool, ranking companies by a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. And this week, I’ve got nine media stocks to buy.

Here they are, in alphabetical order. Each one of these stocks gets an �A� or �B� according to my research, meaning it is a �strong buy� or �buy.�
CBS Corp. (NYSE:CBS) is a mass media company known best for its television network by the same name. CBS stock has posted one of the biggest gains in the past year at 35%.
Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ:CMCSA) provides video, high-speed Internet and phone services to residences and businesses. CMCSA stock has gained 5% year-to-date.
DirecTV (NASDAQ:DTV) is known for providing digital television service in the U.S. Despite a drop toward the end of summer, DTV stock has still gained 17% since Jan. 1.
Dish Network Corp. (NASDAQ:DISH) is a pay-television provider with more than 14 million customers. DISH stock is up 35% year-to-date.

The McGraw-Hill Cos. (NYSE:MHP) is known for its printed books, magazines and newsletters, which are distributed online and through wireless and traditional broadcasting. Year-to-date, MHP stock has outpaced the broader markets with a gain of 16%.

News Corp. (NASDAQ:NWSA) is a diversified global media company that has become a household name, along with its founder Rupert Murdoch. NWSA stock is up almost 20% in the past year, compared to a gain of 4% for! the Dow Jones in the same period.
Sirius XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI) is a subscriber-based satellite radio provider that broadcasts music, sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather. A modest gain of 10% year-to-date has ensured a spot on this list for SIRI stock.

Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX) is involved with cable television networks, feature films and magazine publishing. Since the start of 2011, TWX stock is up more than 6%.
Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAB) is involved with television, motion picture, Internet and mobile platforms, and is best known as the owner of Paramount Pictures. A 7% gain since the start of 2011 means VIAB has outpaced the broader markets for the year.

Get more analysis of these picks and other publicly traded stocks with Louis Navellier�s Portfolio Grader tool, a 100% free stock-rating tool that measures both quantitative buying pressure and eight fundamental factors.