US pre-open: Futures flat ahead of retail sales data

Wall Street futures were little changed ahead of the opening bell on Tuesday as market participants awaited the release of last month's all-important retail sales report.

As of 1200 GMT, Dow Jones futures were up 0.06%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures were up 0.01% and 0.02%, respectively.

The Dow closed 12.86 points lower on Monday as for its fourth negative session in the last five.

Tuesday's primary focus will be October retail sales data, set to be published at 1330 GMT, with economists expecting sales to have jumped by 1.5% last month, compared with 0.7% in September.

In the corporate space, Home Depot posted third-quarter earnings that came in ahead of estimates on the Street, driven by a 9.8% quarterly sales increase, while Walmart was also scheduled to report before the start of trading.

Also in focus, US president Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping wrapped up their meeting on a much more positive note than originally expected, with it now appearing that there is a willingness on both sides to mend a relationship damaged during the previous White House administration.

"Overall, it is certainly safe to say traders are feeling more comfortable about the US and China relationship now than before the meeting. Cooperation amid tensions is the only way forward and the US seems to have understood that it can't pressure China as it controls the supply chain around the globe," said AvaTrade's Naeem Aslam.

Elsewhere on the macro front, last month's industrial production figures will be released at 1415 GMT, while September business inventories data and the National Association of Housebuilder's November housing market index were both slated fro publication at 1500 GMT.

After closing at 1.584% on Monday, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note ticked up to 1.601% prior to the open on Tuesday.