U.S. stock futures flat as retailers offset semis

NEW YORK, Aug 11 (Reuters) U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat market open on Friday as disappointing news from the semiconductor sector offset renewed confidence about the consumer after strong results from Kohl's Corp.

Chip maker stocks may draw attention after Analog Devices Inc.

posted weaker-than-expected sales growth, sending its shares down 10 percent after the bell on Thursday. Shares of graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. fell 8 percent after the bell after the company said dates of some stock option grants were incorrect, according to preliminary results of a review. For details, see ID:nN10178421 Shares of Kohl's rose 4 percent to .54 in after-market trading on Thursday after the department store operator posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit and raised its earnings outlook. ID:nN10178358 ''The market's poised for a mildly positive opening,'' said Art Hogan, chief market analyst at Jefferies&Co. in Boston. '' ''I think the futures are reflecting a little follow-through from yesterday's strength ... and there have been some companies that have reported earnings that look very good. For example, Kohl's is a good barometer for retail.'' Standard&Poor's 500 futures were down 1.2 points, just below fair value, a mathematical formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract.

Dow Jones industrial average futures were down 7 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures were up 0.5 point.

Kohl's earnings came on the heels of strong reports from retailers Target Corp., Federated Department Stores Inc. and J.C.

Penney Co. Inc., bolstering hopes that consumer spending is holding up in the face of steep gasoline prices and rising interest rates.

ID:nN10420977 Shares of communications network equipment maker Juniper Networks, may also be in focus after the company said an internal audit found discrepancies in how it recorded some employee stock option grants and it would restate prior earnings. ID:nN10188749 Analog Devices fell to to .56 on the Inet electronic brokerage.

No S&P 500 companies are expected to report results on Friday but investors were looking ahead to the Commerce Department's July retail sales report, due at 8:30 a.m. (1230 GMT) for more information on the health of the U.S. consumer.

A government report on import-export prices is also due at 8:30 a.m. and the Commerce Department will issue Business Inventories for June at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT).

U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday as a drop in oil prices and insurer American International Group Inc.'s solid profit outweighed concerns about a suspected plot to bomb U.S.-bound planes.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 48.19 points, or 0.44 percent, to end at 11,124.37. The Standard&Poor's 500 Index .SPX> gained 5.86 points, or 0.46 percent, to finish at 1,271.81. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC> advanced 11.46 points, or 0.56 percent, to close at 2,071.74.

REUTERS SBA PM1642