US STOCKS-Futures lower on earnings worry; Citi on tap

                                
 * Halliburton up after results, Citi on tap
                                
 * Greece denies debt restructure plan
                                
 * China hikes bank reserve requirements
                                
 * Futures off: Dow 65 pts, S&P 9.6 pts, Nasdaq 13 pts
                                
 * For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US]
 (Adds comment, updates prices)
                                
 By Chuck Mikolajczak
                                
 NEW YORK, April 18 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures
fell on Monday before a raft of corporate earnings, including
Citigroup, as investors weigh whether corporate results and
outlooks will be hurt by rising commodity costs. 
                                
 Citigroup Inc <C.N>, off 0.5 percent to $4.40 before the
opening bell, is expected to report a drop in quarterly profit
and revenue on Monday, as an uncertain trading environment and
weak consumer loan demand hinder its efforts to move past the
financial crisis. During the week of April 18, 110 S&P 500
companies are expected to report earnings. For details, see
[ID:nN17260604]
                                
 "The market is underwhelmed by the early earnings
releases," said Peter Kenny, managing director at Knight
Capital in Jersey City, New Jersey.
                                
 "Input costs are driving more and more of the concern, and
they are significantly less manageable than pushing consumer
demand, or even industrial demand. It is a problem; it could
really kind of make the rebound enter an anemic phase."
                                
 Halliburton Co <HAL.N>, the world's No. 2 oilfield services
company, advanced 0.9 percent to $47.25 in premarket trading
after posting a first-quarter profit that beat analysts'
estimates as oil companies increased spending on new projects
to meet growing oil demand worldwide. [ID:nN15257560]
                                
 Eli Lilly & Co <LLY.N> climbed 1.1 percent to $36.40 after
the drugmaker reported better-than-expected first-quarter sales
and earnings. [ID:nN18184252]
                                
 Also due to report on Monday is Texas Instruments <TXN.N>.
                                
 China raised banks' required reserves for the fourth time
this year on Sunday, stepping up efforts to fight high
inflation. [ID:nL3E7FH05Y]
                                
 Athens repeated it has no plans to restructure its debt,
denying a Greek media report it had requested talks with its
lenders as speculation that it would need a restructuring hit
debt markets and the euro. [ID:nLDE73H0M1]
                                
 S&P 500 futures <SPc1> fell 9.6 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 65
points and Nasdaq 100 futures <NDc1> fell 13 points.
                                
 Healthcare stocks will be in the spotlight after Swiss
medical device maker Synthes <SYST.VX> confirmed it is in
merger talks with Johnson & Johnson <JNJ.N>. Reports said the
U.S. company was in talks to buy it for about $20 billion. J&J
shares rose 0.7 percent to $60.97 in light premarket trade.
[ID:nLR405499]
                                
 NYSE Euronext <NYX.N> would likely want Nasdaq OMX Group
<NDAQ.O> to offer a substantial fee to guarantee that its
takeover bid will pass antitrust muster before the NYSE is
willing to engage in deal talks, two sources with knowledge of
the matter said. [ID:nN17160125]
                                
 Renewed euro zone debt concerns hit European shares,
sending a key index into negative territory for the year.
[.EU]
                                
 Stocks in Asia ex-Japan remained flat, with investors
unconvinced that China's latest moves to cool its economy would
hurt the global recovery. [ID:nL3E7FI0FF]
 (Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Kenneth Barry)