* Goldman Sachs posts strong profit but shares slip
* June retail sales point to spending weakness
* Futures: S&P up 3.3 pts; Nasdaq 100 off 4.25; Dow up 45
* For up-to-the-minute market news click [STXNEWS/US]
(Adds Goldman Sachs results, changes byline)
By Rodrigo Campos
NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks headed for a flat
open on Tuesday as government data pointing to a slower than
expected recovery in consumer spending fueled caution even
after strong quarterly earnings from Goldman Sachs Group
(GS.N).
Even though June total retail sales rose by a 0.6 percent,
more than forecast, sales excluding autos missed estimates.
Stock index futures rallied ahead of Goldman Sachs results
but reversed course as investors booked profits from Monday's
surge and worried that the pace of consumer spending was not
picking up strongly enough.
"It's a 'buy the rumor, sell the news,' kind of thing.
(Goldman) did print a good number, but based on yesterday's
action it was apparently all built into the stock, at least for
now," said Terry Morris, senior equity manager at National Penn
Investors Trust Co in Reading, Pennsylvania.
"It just goes to show that its all relative to the
expectations that were embedded into the price of the stock at
the time."
Goldman shares were off faintly to $148.90 before the
opening bell.
S&P 500 futures SPc1 rose 3.3 points and were above fair
value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account
interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the
contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures DJc1 climbed
45 points, and Nasdaq 100 NDc1 futures fell 4.25 points.
Dell Inc (DELL.O) was set to weigh on the tech sector after
the computer maker forecast lower gross margins for the July
quarter. For details, see [ID:nN13208933]
(Additional reporting by Ryan Vlastelica and Ellis Mnyandu;
Editing by Padraic Cassidy)
