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 * U.S. retail sales likely surged in April as households stepped up
purchases of cars and light trucks. According to a Reuters survey of
economists, retail sales probably rose 0.8 percent last month after
falling 0.4 percent in March. The data is expected at 8:30 a.m. ET
(1230 GMT).
* However, weak earnings from department stores including Macy's <M.N>
this week has spooked investors. Consumer spending accounts for more
than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.
* Oil ended a three-day bull run on Friday, falling as a strong
dollar made it more expensive to hold positions. [O/R]
* U.S. stocks ended mixed on Thursday, with gains in
telecommunications and consumer staples helping make up for Apple's
<AAPL.O> tumble to a two-year low. Apple was down 0.4 percent at
$90.01 in premarket trading.
* A rally in the S&P 500 index from its February lows has petered
out over the last two weeks amid underwhelming earnings reports from
companies and economic data that clouded the outlook for interest
rate increases this year.
* Two U.S. Federal Reserve officials said on Thursday that the
central bank should raise rates if data points to an improving
economy. However, traders are pricing in only rate hike, at the end
of the year.
* Department store operator Nordstrom's shares were down nearly 18
percent at $37.11 after weak results.
* Nvidia was up 7.2 percent at $38.15 after the company forecast
better-than-expected revenue for the current quarter.
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* UnitedHealth was down 2.8 percent at $126 after a judge ruled in favor of
Republicans who challenged President Barack Obama's healthcare law, ruling that
his administration had overstepped its constitutional powers on government
spending.
Futures snapshot at 6:59 a.m. ET:
* S&P 500 e-minis were down 6 points, or 0.29 percent, with 188,688 contracts
traded.
* Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 13 points, or 0.3 percent, on volume of 25,238
contracts.
* Dow e-minis were down 61 points, or 0.35 percent, with 28,674 contracts
changing hands.
(Reporting by Tanya Agrawal; Additional reporting by Yashaswini Swamynathan;
Editing by Ted Kerr)
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