(Corrects headline to show index futures are up)
* Chipmaker Intel to report qtrly results after bell
* Jobless claims, retail sales data on tap
* Futures up: S&P 1.5 pts, Dow 17 pts, Nasdaq 1.75 pts
* For up-to-the-minute market news, click []
(Updates prices, adds quote)
By Angela Moon
NEW YORK, Jan 14 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures edged
higher on Thursday as investors awaited results from technology
bellwether Intel Corp and a report on December U.S. retail
sales, a day after the Dow index rose to a fresh 15-month
high.
Intel kicks off the start of technology-sector earnings
after the bell, with some analysts concerned the shares may
sell off if its 2010 outlook isn't rosy enough. The chipmaker
is expected to report earnings of 30 cents per share, excluding
items, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. For details, see
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"Intel results this evening will be when we really begin to
focus on earnings and get a handle of how the rest of the
season will shape up," said Peter Cardillo, chief market
economist at Avalon Partners in New York.
Intel <INTC.O> shares rose 0.9 percent at $21.15 in
premarket trading.
Due before the bell on Thursday is December's retail sales
data, at 8:30 a.m. (1330 GMT). The median forecast is for a
monthly rise in retail sales of 0.5 percent, following
November's 1.3 percent increase. For sales excluding autos,
economists in a Reuters survey forecast a gain of 0.3 percent,
compared with an increase of 1.2 percent in November.
Weekly jobless claims data are also due at 8:30 a.m. and
November business inventories data is set for release at 10:00
a.m. (1500 GMT)
"I suspect retail sales numbers (for December) to be a real
indicator in terms of what the consumers will be doing, going
forward, since previous data may have been stronger on
pre-holiday season spending," Cardillo said.
S&P 500 futures <SPc1> rose 1.5 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 <DJc1> rose 17
points, and Nasdaq 100 futures <NDc1> gained 1.75 points.
Financial shares will be in focus as U.S. President Barack
Obama is due to propose that major U.S. financial companies pay
a fee to protect taxpayers from up to $117 billion in losses on
the banks bailout that has spurred public fury. The
announcement is set for 11:50 a.m. EST (1650 GMT).
ID:nN13152862
Resource-related shares will also be in the spotlight after
mining major Rio Tinto Plc <RTP.N> beat its own forecast for
iron ore output in the fourth quarter, signaling robust demand
from Chinese steelmakers. []
Google Inc <GOOG.O> may be active as China showed no sign
of giving ground on Google's censorship claim as the U.S.
Internet giant threatened to quit the country. []
U.S. chocolate maker Hershey Co <HSY.N> is still working on
a bid for Cadbury Plc that would top Kraft's hostile $17
billion takeover offer, a source said. []
U.S. stocks rose Wednesday as investors bet on recently
weakened technology and financial shares, taking the Dow to a
fresh 15-month high.
(Editing by Padraic Cassidy)
