Earnings, M&A lift Wall Street stock futures

Schlumberger Ltd agreed to buy Smith International in a $11.34 billion all-stock deal that will boost the oilfield services leader's revenue to double that of its nearest rival. The move was the latest in an M&A arena slowly coming back to life.

It's a another step forward in the increasing confidence corporate management teams are demonstrating with respect to expanding their businesses and putting capital to work, said Craig Peckham, equity trading strategist at Jefferies & Company in New York.

Schlumberger's shares fell 5.4 percent to $60.45 in premarket trade while Smith International rose 7.3 percent to $40.45.

Lowe's Co , the No. 2 U.S. home improvement store, posted earnings of $0.14 a share, compared to an expected $0.12 for the fourth quarter. The company, seen as indicator for the consumer's willingness to spend, said it expected sales to rise 1 percent to 3 percent in the current quarter.

Lowe's shares rose 1.9 percent to $23.58 in premarket trade.

S&P 500 futures rose 5.80 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 rose 54 points and Nasdaq 100 futures added 11.75 points.

Last week stocks closed out their best week this year. The benchmark S&P 500 has trimmed its losses since its January 19 peak to 3.6 percent decline through Friday. The index fell as much as 8 percent through February 8.

Healthcare stocks, which have been a wildcard for the market this year, are expected to come in focus today as President Barack Obama pitches his bid to revamp the U.S. healthcare system as a way to control big insurance company rate increases.

Obama will release his healthcare plan on Monday, the White House said.

(Reporting by Edward Krudy; Editing by Theodore d'Afflisio)