Futures falling ahead of unemployment and retail sales data

September 16 (Reuters) – U.S. stock index futures fell slightly on Thursday after a strong rally in the previous session, with investors focusing on upcoming data on jobless claims and retail sales for better reading of the current economic recovery.

Wall Street indices posted strong gains on Wednesday, with cyclical economy-sensitive stocks the most benefiting from a recovery in oil prices and data suggesting factory activity growth remained stable in the country .

The data also showed a drop in import prices, which, coupled with a recent reading showing that consumer prices were slowing, implied that inflation had likely peaked and would fall to more manageable levels eventually.

But the stock market struggled to maintain its record highs reached earlier this month amid weaker seasonal trends in September, along with fears that an economic recovery could falter towards the end of the year. .

The focus is now on weekly jobless claims and retail sales data for August, both due at 8:30 a.m. ET (12:30 p.m. GMT).

The S&P 500 E-minis were down 5.75 points, or 0.13% as of 6:22 a.m. ET. The Dow E-minis were down 28 points, or 0.08%, while the Nasdaq 100 E-minis were down 32.75 points, or 0.21%.

U.S.-listed Chinese stocks have prolonged losses in pre-market trading, with Beijing’s overhaul of gambling regulations in Macau being the latest source of consternation for an industry already plagued by the crackdown on tech services and educational.

US-based casino operators Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS.N), Wynn Resorts Ltd (WYNN.O) and MGM Resorts International (MGM.N) also fell ahead of the opening bell.

Among the other engines, video game publisher EA (EA.O) rose nearly 2% as it held on to its forecast despite the month-long delay in launching its highly anticipated “Battlefield 2042” title. Read more

Report by Ambar Warrick in Bangalore; Editing by Arun Koyyur

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