S&P 500 stock index futures were slightly lower on Tuesday as investors digested Goldman Sachs's plan to issue equity after strong earnings, and prepared for Johnson & Johnson results and economic data.

Goldman Sachs posted a much higher-than-expected first quarter profit, but said it planned a $5 billion common share sale to help pay back government funds. It's shares traded lower before the bell.

Healthcare group Johnson & Johnson is expected to earn $1.22 a share, excluding items, down from $1.26 a year earlier, according to Reuters estimates.

People will be looking at Johnson & Johnson very carefully, said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners in New York. As far as earnings are concerned Johnson & Johnson could be a market mover, that could entice the market to move higher.

On the macroeconomics front, March retail sales are due at 8.30 a.m. EDT, as are March producer price data.

Cardillo expects we should see a little uptick in retail sales which should continue to boost investor confidence today.

Citigroup shares were up 9 percent to $4.14 in premarket trade, while Bank of America rose 2.6 percent to $11.30.

S&P 500 futures fell 3.30 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 fell 4

points, and Nasdaq 100 futures added 3 points.

Chipmaker Intel is set to kick off tech earnings season, with results eyed closely for guidance on the semiconductor market.

U.S. Federal Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to give a lecture, entitled Four questions about the Financial Crisis, at 1:30 pm EDT in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Energy Information Administration is to present its outlook for gasoline and other fuels with the release of its short-term energy outlook.

The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Chrysler's creditors planned to make a counteroffer to the U.S. Treasury this week in which they might ask for equity in a firm combining Chrysler with potential partner Fiat in exchange for concessions.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose on Monday as bets that major banks will post reassuring quarterly results fueled a run-up in financials, offsetting uneasiness about the fate of General Motors .

The Dow, however, slipped after Boeing said cuts in output of wide-body planes and lower-than-expected airplane prices would hurt first-quarter profit.

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

Retail sales Healthcare Investment Goldman sachs