US STOCKS-Futures flat ahead of consumer sentiment data

                                
   * Consumer sentiment data on tap
                                
 * BP climbs on supportive UK comments
                                
 * Futures up: Dow 4 pts, S&P 0.7 pt, Nasdaq 1.75 pts
                                
 * For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US]
                                
 By Chuck Mikolajczak
                                
 NEW YORK, June 11 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were
little changed on Friday, with the benchmark S&P 500 on track
for its best weekly performance in a month ahead of data on
retail sales and consumer sentiment.
                                
 Investors are looking for signals of improving consumer
health when the U.S. Commerce Department releases May retail
sales, the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary
June consumer sentiment index, and the Commerce Department
issues Business Inventories for April.
                                
 Economists expect an 0.2 percent increase in retail sales
versus the prior 0.4 percent rise, a sentiment reading of 74.5
against the prior 73.6, and a 0.5 percent increase in
inventories over the previous 0.4 percent.
                                
 "When we look at what is going on, it's hard to draw any
conclusions other than things are getting very slowly better,"
said Barry Ritholtz, director of equity research at Fusion IQ
in New York.
                                
 "(But) we have to get a little bit cautious about drawing
long-term conclusions from short-term seasonal situations."
                                
 S&P 500 futures <SPc2> rose 0.7 point but were slightly
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 <DJc1>
gained 4 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures <NDc2> were up 1.75
points.
                                
 The euro <EUR=>, used as a proxy for confidence in the euro
zone in recent weeks, gained 0.3 percent versus the dollar,
supported on the back of higher European shares.
[ID:nLDE65A0XG]
                                
 U.S.-listed shares of BP Plc <BP.L> climbed 5.4 percent to
$34.54 in premarket as supportive comments from UK officials
outweighing reports that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill was much
bigger than estimated. For details, see [ID:nN10265259]
                                
 National Semiconductor Corp <NSM.N> gained 2.4 percent to
$13.85 in premarket trade after delivering a margin and revenue
forecast above estimates, signaling that demand is bouncing
back after an horrendous 2009 for the microchip industry.
[ID:nN10251890]
                                
 Dell Inc <DELL.O> slipped 1.7 percent to $12.85 premarket
after it said it is in talks with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission over an investigation into its accounting
practices and relationship with chipmaker Intel Corp <INTC.O>.
Dell also said it set a $100 million reserve for a potential
settlement. [ID:nN10253131]
                                
 Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc <WEN.N> Chairman Nelson Peltz said
an unnamed party is interested in a potential deal, sending
shares up 11.4 percent to $4.84 in premarket.
                                
 U.S. stocks posted their best day in the last nine on
Thursday, responding to signs of health in the euro debt market
and on a bounce-back for energy shares crushed in the previous
day's sell-off.
  (Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)