 U.S. stock benchmarks fell slightly early Monday as investors positioned for the start of earnings season, and braced for inflation data that could signal whether a surge in rising prices is in the works or set to be transitory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1 to around 33,754, the SP 500 index retreated 0.1 at 4,123, while the Nasdaq Composite Index was trading 0.3 lower at 13,861. 