Stock index futures rose on Friday as investors awaited data that could provide a look at the health of the consumer, including reports on retail sales and consumer sentiment.
The main focus will be the Commerce Department release of November retail sales at 8:30 a.m. EST. Economists in a Reuters survey expect an 0.7 percent rise, compared with a 1.4 percent increase in October. Excluding automobiles, sales are seen up 0.4 percent, compared with an 0.2 percent increase in the month before.
The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers December consumer sentiment index will be out at 9:55 a.m. EST. Wall Street looks for a preliminary December reading of 68.5, compared with 67.4 in the final November report.
Investors are eager to see signs of life from the consumer as spending has stayed anemic with shoppers worrying about the high unemployment rate. Analysts say it will be hard for the economy to mount a sustainable recovery without consumer participation.
Boeing Co (BA.N) could be active after it said Thursday its 787 Dreamliner could start test-flying on December 15 after falling two years behind schedule.
S&P 500 futures rose 6.4 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures gained 38 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures added 7.5 points.
Other data due Friday include import prices for November and business inventories for October.
Bank of New York Mellon Corp (BK.N) Chief Executive Robert Kelly has resurfaced as a possible candidate to succeed outgoing Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) CEO Kenneth Lewis, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.
National Semiconductor Corp (NSM.N) forecast fiscal third-quarter revenue would be roughly flat compared with the second quarter's $345 million, while analysts expect $331 million and posted second-quarter results that beat estimates. Its shares slid after the bell on worries about its ability to regain market share.
Stocks rose Thursday as signs of improving trends in the job market and a decline in the U.S. October trade deficit reassured investors the economy was on a steady growth path.
Trading has been thin of late as investors looked to preserve gains as the year-end approaches and refrained from making big bets ahead of the Federal Reserve interest rate meeting next week.
