"Hmmm," Wall Street is saying to anyone reminding it that today is Friday the 13th. Although it still feels the wind at its back from yesterday's rally, all the talk about inflation has everyone on edge over the impending release of the consumer price index, and stock futures are pointing just a tad higher.

Also on tap today is the Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index.

The dollar is up against an index of currencies, while U.S. Treasuries are mixed. Oil prices have fallen, with U.S. crude around $135.50 a barrel.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson may be providing some cheer by saying major investment banks are making progress toward greater stability in wake of the credit crunch.

But in what looks the pot calling the kettle black, Lehman Brothers -
which shook things up this week by forecasting a loss and raising more capital - says it expects both these developments at Merrill Lynch.

On the M&A front, Yahoo has turned its back on erstwhile suitor Microsoft by announcing an advertising deal with Google, which will put search ads on the company's website.

But other triangles may be ... er, brewing. The Wall Street Journal says Anheuser-Busch, which has received a bid from InBev, has been in preliminary talks with Mexican beer company Grupo Modelo.

And the Business Standard newspaper says Pfizer may bid for Indian generic drug company Ranbaxy Labs, which already has accepted a takeover offer from Japan's Daiichi Sankyo.