Stock futures edge lower; factory data awaited

FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) � U.S. stock-index futures fell Monday, with investors reluctant to continue pressing the upside on signs of re-emerging political turmoil in Europe while preparing for the second half of earnings season and factory-orders data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA last week topped 14,000 for the first time in more than five years.

Futures on the Dow industrials DJH3 fell 41 points, or 0.3%, to 13,889, while S&P 500 Index futures SPH3 slipped 4.3 points to 1,502.40.

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Nasdaq 100 futures NDH3 lost 7.25 points, or 0.3%, to 2,749.25.

European stocks posted losses, with the Stoxx 600 Europe index XX:SXXP down 0.6%. See: Italy, Spain jitters spook Europe markets.

Spanish government bond yields saw a moderate rise as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy attempted to contain a corruption scandal, denying allegations over the weekend that he and members of his political party had accepted secret payments. See: Spanish PM says corruption claim false: reports.

Also, investors are beginning to pay closer heed to Italy�s general election later this month amid concerns the next government could move to water down economic measures put in place by technocratic Prime Minister Mario Monti.

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�The weekend news flow served as a timely reminder of the political risks looming on the European horizon,� said Jim Reid, strategist at Deutsche Bank in London. See: Spain yields rise as Rajoy aims to contain scandal.

After last week�s heavy run of economic data that culminated with U.S. nonfarm-payroll figures for January, investors face a relatively light economic calendar this week, kicking off with December factory orders data at 10 a.m. Eastern. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expect a 2.3% jump after a flat reading in November. See: Economy on glide path that's not high or low.

A reading in line with expectations �would be another positive indicator for the U.S. manufacturing sector that the order pipeline is filling up a bit more,� wrote strategists at R.J. O�Brien in Chicago.

U.S. manufacturing executives seem to be largely ignoring political dysfunction in Washington over the federal budget, with data last week showing the Institute for Supply Management�s manufacturing index at a nine-month high of 53.1, they noted.

Reuters A man pushes a trolley stacked with Dell computers through a company factory in India.

Shares of nutrition company Herbalife Ltd. HLF fell more than 13% in premarket trade. The New York Post on Monday reported that the company, which has been mired in an acrimonious public battle with hedge fund operator Bill Ackman, is the subject of a�pending� investigation. �

Shares of personal-computer maker Dell Inc. DELL slipped 0.2% in premarket trade. News reports said negotiations over an agreement that would take the company private continued over the weekend. The talks could produce an agreement as soon as Monday, reports said. See: PC-maker Dell closer to buyout deal: reports.