Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed to a steady open on Tuesday, as investors remained cautious after the release of disappointing economic data in China over the weekend continued to weigh on market sentiment.
Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.05% dip, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.07% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.01% gain.
Markets were still jittery after data released over the weekend showed that Chinese exports fell 18.1% on a year-over-year basis in February, confounding expectations for a 6.8% increase, following a rise of 10.6% in January.
A separate report showed that the annual rate of inflation in China slowed to 2.0% in February, from 2.5% in January.
The data added to fears over a slowdown in the world’s second largest economy.
The telecom sector was expected to be active, after SoftBank President Masayoshi Son said he is ready to start a "massive price war" if U.S. regulators allow Sprint Corp. to purchase T-Mobile US Inc. Sprint shares edged up 0.11% in after-hour trade.
Among auto stocks, General Motors dipped 0.03% pre-market as a U.S. House panel was set to investigate U.S. regulators and the company's response to consumer complaints about ignition-switch failures that led to the recall of 1.6 million vehicles and are linked to at least 13 deaths.
Elsewhere, Qualcomm Inc. shares were down 0.29% in extended trade after the provider of mobile-phone chips promoted Derek Aberle to president, naming a second-in-command to new Chief Executive Officer Steve Mollenkopf.
In the retail sector, Urban Outfitters Inc. plummeted 2.69% in late trading after saying it expects poor weather to contribute to lower sales and profit margins in the first quarter.
Citi upgraded J.C. Penney to "buy" with a price target of $11, sending shares in the department store chain up 4.04% in early trading.
Other stocks likely to be in focus included Dick's Sporting Goods and American Eagle Outfitters, scheduled to report quarterly results later in the day.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were mixed to lower. The EURO STOXX 50 dipped 0.04%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.29%, Germany's DAX added 0.11%, while Britain's FTSE 100 declined 0.41%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index inched up 0.02%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.69%.