US STOCKS-Euro zone worries knock futures ahead of data

                                
   * Cisco results, outlook exceed expectations, shares up
                                
 * Cigna, Moody's profits top views
                                
 * European debt worries rattle markets
                                
 * Futures down: Dow 53 pts; S&P 6.1 pts; Nasdaq 9.5 pts
                                
 * For up-to-the-minute market news, click [STXNEWS/US]
  (Adds quote, details, byline)
                                
 NEW YORK, Feb 4 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures fell
on Thursday as renewed worries over sovereign debt in some euro
zone countries kept investors away from riskier investments,
including equities, ahead of U.S. jobs and factory data.
                                
 European stocks followed Asian markets lower on concerns
that Greece's fiscal problems would spread to other highly
indebted euro zone countries like Portugal and Spain. For
details see [ID:nEUROPEAND].
                                
 "The problems in euro land continue to linger, and this
debt crisis in Greece certainly is a short-term negative for
the (stock) market," said  Peter Cardillo, chief market
economist at Avalon Partners in New York.
                                
 "Rising default swaps sort of rekindle nasty memories of
when we were in the midst of a crisis here in the United
States."
                                
 Ahead of the key non-farm payrolls data Friday, the Labor
Department will release weekly first-time claims for jobless
benefits at 8:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT). Economists in a Reuters
survey forecast a total of 460,000 new filings, compared with
470,000 in the prior week.
                                
 Also at 8:30 a.m. (1330 GMT), preliminary fourth-quarter
productivity data will be released.
                                
 S&P 500 futures <SPc1> dropped 6.1 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 <DJc1> fell 53
points, and Nasdaq 100 futures <NDc1> lost 9.5 points.
                                
 The Commerce Department will report December factory orders
at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT). Economists expect a rise of 0.5 percent,
compared with a 0.6 percent rise in the prior month.
                                
 ICSC chain store sales for January are also due. In the
previous month, sales rose 2.8 percent from the year before.
                                
 Shares of Cisco Systems Inc <CSCO.O> rose 2.7 percent to
$23.69 in premarket trading after quarterly profit and revenues
jumped, easily topping expectations and forecast revenues far
above the average view. For details, see [ID:nN0395898]
                                
 Health insurer Cigna Corp <CI.N> posted a
better-than-expected quarterly profit early Thursday, citing
strong performance in its accident insurance business and
effective operational cost controls. [ID:nN04219629].
                                
 Moody's Corp <MCO.N>, the parent of credit-rating agency
Moody's Investors Service, said fourth-quarter profit jumped 16
percent from a year ago, helped by a pickup in debt issuance.
[ID:nN04232666]
                                
 Shares of Visa Inc <V.N> rose 3.7 percent to $86.60
premarket, a day after the credit card company reported
stronger-than-expected earnings. [ID:nN03155595]
                                
 Rival MasterCard Inc <MA.N> as well as Kellogg Co <K.N> and
Clorox Co <CLX.N> are due to report results Thursday.
                                
 U.S. stocks mostly fell on Wednesday as Pfizer Inc's
<PFE.N> disappointing outlook weighed on the health sector, and
U.S. President Barack Obama's pledge to complete banking and
healthcare reforms revived fears of increased regulation.
  (Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)