US Futures Up Ahead Of Retail Sales Data

Futures on the S&P 500 are up 0.34 percent, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average are up 0.34 percent and Nasdaq100 futures are up 0.31 percent.

Investors are cautious ahead of March core retail sales report from the Commerce Department, which is due to be released before market opens. Economists are expecting the figure to advance 0.3 percent after gaining 1.1 percent in February. Core retail sales, excluding auto, are expected to record 0.5 percent growth compared to 0.9 percent rise in February.

Other economic data, including NY Empire State manufacturing index, will be released before markets open, while business inventories for February will be released after market opens.

NY Empire State manufacturing index is expected to show that manufacturing activity slightly eased in April as orders and shipments slowed last month, while business inventories are expected to rise by 0.60 percent in February.

On the earnings front, Citigroup is due to report first quarter earnings before the opening bell. Analysts expect the company to report quarterly net income of $1 per share on revenue of $19.81 billion, compared with $1 a share on revenue of $19.73 billion in the year-ago period.

On Friday, all the three major US indices plunged more than 1 percent after Spanish benchmark 10-year bond yields soared to 5.93 percent. The move came after data showed that the country's banks were relying more on the European Central Bank funding.

European stocks are currently trading mixed with DAX30 up by 46.77 points and CAC 40 up by 27.62 points, while FTSE 100 is down by 21.74 points. Spanish benchmark 10-year bond yields broke above 6 percent for the first time this year as doubt spread among bond investors that Europe's fifth-biggest economy will be able to service its expanding debt.