U.S. stock-index futures trimmed early gains after a slate of weaker-than-expected economic data. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.1 percent, while those for the S&P 500 index gained 0.2 percent.
Sales at U.S. retailers were flat in April. Excluding automobile sales, buying increased by a paltry 0.1 percent, the Commerce Department said, falling short of the 0.4 percent forecast.
Prices paid in the U.S. for imported goods fell by 0.3 percent, while prices for U.S.-made exports declined by 0.7 percent in April.
Stocks fell slightly yesterday, well off the lowest levels of the session. The Dow fell 0.2 percent to 18,068 and the S&P slipped 0.3 percent to 2099.12.
MOVERS:
Danaher (NYSE:DHR) jumped 4.5 percent and Pall (NYSE:PLL) added 5 percent after Danaher agreed to buy the water-systems maker for $13.8 billion. Danaher will also split itself into two independent companies.
HortonWorks (NASDAQ:HDP) jumped 12 percent after the data-software company’s second-quarter revenue forecast beat analysts’ estimates, while reporting a narrower-than-expected first-quarter loss.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) surged 7.2 percent after a panel of external advisers said its experimental cystic fibrosis combination should be approved by U.S. regulators.
Orexigen Therapeutics (NASDAQ:OREX) plunged 11 percent as Takeda Pharmaceutical (OTCMKTS:TKPYY) threatened to end its collaboration with the drugmaker after a safety study of its obesity medicine was halted.
GoDaddy (NYSE:GDDY) lost 1.5 percent after its first earnings report as a public company sparked investor concern over growth prospects.
Macy's (NYSE:M) slid 1.2 percent after the U.S. department-store chain reported weaker-than-expected sales and profit in the first quarter, as some of its merchandise shipments were snarled in clogged West Coast ports and severe winter weather damped sales.
Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ) surged 25 percent after gas infrastructure company Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) announced an agreement to buy the public equity of Williams Partners in a stock deal valued at $13.8 billion.
Owens-Illinois (NYSE:OI) rose 8 percent to $23.79 after the glass container maker said it would buy the food and beverage glass container business of Mexico's Vitro SAB de CV for $2.15 billion.
Delta Airlines (NYSE:DAL) rose 2.4 percent after announcing a $5 billion buyback program and raised its quarterly dividend to 13.5 cents per share from 9 cents.
COMMODITIES:
Spot gold rose 0.3 percent to $1,196 an ounce by 7:49 a.m., after touching its highest in one week at $1,198.
Brent for June was up 33 cents at $67.19 a barrel. U.S. crude was up 47 cents at $61.22.
OTHER MARKETS:
European stocks rose after data indicated a modest economic recovery is in place. France’s CAC 40 gained 1.2 percent and Germany’s DAX added 0.6 percent.
Asian markets ended mixed.