NEW YORK (Reuters) -
U.S. stock index futures slipped on Tuesday as investors faced what is expected to be a lackluster earnings season, while a batch of economic data was on tap for later in the morning, including retail sales and regional manufacturing.
Fiscal and monetary policy were also at the forefront of investors' minds. On Monday, President Barack Obama rejected any negotiations with Republicans over raising the U.S. borrowing limit. The United States could default on its debt if Congress does not increase the borrowing limit.
Speaking separately on Monday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke urged lawmakers to raise the debt ceiling. The central bank chairman also gave a cautiously optimistic outlook for U.S. growth but no clear hints on when the Fed would curb its aggressive bond purchases.
Corporate earnings season picks up the pace this week and investors are bracing for disappointment. Analyst estimates for the quarter have fallen sharply since October. S&P 500 earnings growth is now seen up just 1.9 percent from a year ago, Thomson Reuters data showed.
Shares of Dell
S&P 500 futures fell 4.8 points and were below 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 were down 16 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures lost 6.75 points.
Homebuilder Lennar
Reports on U.S. retail sales and producer prices for December, as well as manufacturing activity in New York state for January were due at 8:30 am ET (1330 GMT). Business inventories for November will be released at 10:00 am ET.
(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Stock futures fall as earnings, data eyed
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Stock futures fall as earnings, data eyed
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Stock futures fall as earnings, data eyed
