* Dec ADP employment data to show fewer private job cuts
* ISM non-manufacturing index on tap
* Futures down; S&P 3 pts, Dow 34 pts, Nasdaq 5.75 pts
* For up-to-the-minute market news, click STXNEWS/US
(Updates with quote)
By Angela Moon
NEW YORK, Jan 6 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures fell
on Wednesday, a day after the S&P 500 closed at a 15-month
high, as investors braced for a private report on jobs that is
a precursor to the closely watched government non-farm payrolls
report due Friday
The U.S. ADP employment data is expected to show that
private employers cut 73,000 jobs in December, versus 169,000
in November. The data is due at 8:15 a.m. EST. []
For the employment data, economists polled by Reuters see a
decline of 8,000 in non-farm payrolls after a surprisingly
small 11,000 drop in November. The unemployment rate is seen
rising to 10.1 percent from 10 percent in November. For
details, see []
Investors will also watch the ISM non-manufacturing index
due at 10:00 a.m. EST. [] Economists look for a reading
of 50.5, up from November's 48.7, indicating expansion rather
than contraction.
"I see a bit of profit taking ahead of the jobs data today
and Friday since we had a very bullish start this week on
Monday and a moderately bullish (market) yesterday," said Tom
Schrader, managing director of U.S. equity trading at Stifel
Nicolaus Capital in Baltimore.
S&P 500 futures <SPc1> lost 3 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 <DJc1> fell 34
points, and Nasdaq 100 futures <NDc1> dropped 5.75 points.
At 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT), the Federal Open Market Committee
will release minutes from its mid-December meeting.
U.S. retailers saw a strong finish to the 2009 holiday
season, even though sales fell at apparel chains and department
stores in December, according to MasterCard Advisors'
SpendingPulse. []
Financial stocks may be influenced by an announcement that
U.S. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd will
not seek re-election, sources said. The Connecticut Democrat
has been dogged by questions over his financial industry
connections and has faced a tough re-election bid.
After the bell Tuesday, fertilizer producer Mosaic Co
<MOS.N> posted slightly lower-than-expected quarterly earnings,
hurt by currency losses, and said improvement in the global
economy would revive agricultural markets. []
Kraft Foods Inc <KFT.N> said 1.52 percent of Cadbury Plc
<CBRY.L> shareholders have accepted its sweetened offer, but
most shareholders were expected to see if Kraft will raise its
bid before making a decision. []
Oil prices <CLc1> remained below $82 a barrel after
unexpectedly bearish U.S. inventory data, ending a 9-day rally
that contributed to a new year's rally in equities.
(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
