Summary US stock futures are falling ahead of a report on retail sales during December.
NEW YORK:-Dow Jones industrial futures are down 39 points to 13,394. The broader S&P futures have lost 5.9 points to 1,458.40. Nasdaq futures are down 8.25 points to 2,720.50.
Economists expect the Commerce Department to confirm that consumers eased back on spending during a fight in Washington over fiscal issues. Consumer confidence trailed off during December to its lowest point since August, according to the most recent report from the Conference Board.
Economists are forecasting that retail sales edged up 0.2 percent in December. The report will be released by the Commerce Department at 8:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT) Tuesday.
