* J.B. Hunt jumps after strong DCS performance
* JPM, Wells Fargo drop after results
* Goldman Sachs rises after profit beat
* June retail sales better than expected
* Futures up: Dow 0.10%, S&P 0.07%, Nasdaq 0.05%
(Adds comment, details; Updates prices)
By Medha Singh
July 16 (Reuters) - U.S. stock indexes were set for a muted
open on Tuesday after a set of mixed quarterly reports from Wall
Street banks JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo.
JPMorgan, the largest U.S. bank by assets, beat profit
estimates but interest margin, a key measure of profitability,
slipped, triggering concerns of lower interest rates hurting
bank profits, a day after Citigroup Inc C.N reported a similar
drop.
JPM shares were down 1.4% premarket. Goldman Sachs GS.N
gained 1.2% after quarterly profit topped estimates. Wells Fargo
WFC.N also reported better-than-expected profit, but its
shares fell 0.8%. "We're probably in for a grindingly positive session," said
Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital
Securities in New York.
"We're going to need extraordinarily good news in order to
keep the market rallying at a fast pace. It will be really
difficult to do that until we get into the full earnings
season."
Leading the gainers among the S&P 500 companies was shares
of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc JBHT.O , which jumped 7.6%
after the transport and logistics provider posted strong
quarterly performance in its second biggest unit DCS, which
provides final-mile delivery.
Dow Industrials member .DJI Johnson & Johnson JNJ.N
hiked its full-year operational sales forecast as strong demand
for its cancer drugs Darzalex and Imbruvica. Its shares were
trading flat. As earnings season kicks off in earnest this week, trade war
remains a focus for investors as they look to determine how
deeply it would hurt the profits and forecasts of companies.
Profit at S&P 500 companies is likely to dip 0.3%, which
would be the first quarterly drop in three years, according to
Refinitiv IBES data.
At 8:49 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis 1YMcv1 were up 28 points, or
0.1%. S&P 500 e-minis EScv1 were up 2.25 points, or 0.07% and
Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQcv1 were up 4.25 points, or 0.05%.
Wall Street's three main indexes have scaled fresh record
highs this month on increasing hopes the Federal Reserve would
lower interest rate at its policy meeting, which is two weeks
away, to cushion the economy from any slowdown due to trade
tensions.
A Commerce Department report showed retail sales increased
more than expected in June, but would probably have little
impact on market expectations of a rate cut. "It's important that we get macro news that suggests we're
not heading towards a recession due to the trade war," Cardillo
said.
Investors also awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve's industrial
production data, which is expected to have edged 0.1% higher in
June compared to 0.4% rise in May. The data is expected at 9:15
a.m. ET.