New York, Jan 14^th (TradersHuddle.com) – Stock futures pointed to a lower open after the weekly jobless report showed unemployment claims gaining more than expected last week and retail sales were weaker than expected.

The Labor Department said jobless claim rose more than anticipated last week to 444,000 claims. But the average number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits over the past four weeks dropped to the lowest level since August 2008. The drop signals companies are making fewer job cuts as the economy improves.

Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell in December as consumer spent less on vehicles and an array of other goods during the holiday shopping month, data showed on Thursday, raising concerns about the durability of the economy's recovery. The Commerce Department said total retail sales fell 0.3 percent last month, the first decline in three months, after rising by an upwardly revised 1.8 percent in November. Sales in November were previously reported to have increased 1.3 percent.

Banks were trading lower in pre-market as the President plans to outline a proposal to charge a bank fee late this morning at the White House. The bank levy will be of 15 basis points on so-called high-risk transactions of big banks and financial institutions, which derive profits from trades in derivatives and other complex financial instruments. The levy based on bank liabilities would be imposed starting June 30 and the administration estimates it will raise $90 billion over a minimum of 10 years, and in principal will be to help offset the Trouble Asset Relief Program deficit estimated in $117 billion.

Overseas the yen weakened against higher- yielding currencies for a second day after an Australian employment report beat analysts’ forecasts and Japanese machinery orders unexpectedly fell to a record low in November as tumbling domestic demand overwhelmed an export revival. The euro declined versus the Dollar as the European Central Bank kept its benchmark interest rate at a record low and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Greece’s mounting budget deficit risks were hurting the euro.

Today Stocks to watch: Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), Kraft Foods (NYSE:KFT), LaBranche & Co. Inc. (NYSE:LAB), Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), and Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT)

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC): Intel will report earnings after the bell today. Shares of the largest chip maker in the world were trading higher in pre-market as optimism over the earnings was spurring a bid for the stock ahead of its earnings release. Analysts expect for Intel to earn 30 cents a share.

Banks stocks will be in focus as the Obama administration unveils a bank fee that will hit as many as 50 financial firms with assets greater than $50 billion each. JPMorgan & Chase (NYSE:JPM) will receive extra attention as the bank will report its earnings on Friday morning, as traders expect the report will set the mood for the session. Yesterday, in his testimony before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in Washington, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan, said it was a bad idea to use tax policy to punish people, as all businesses tend to pass their costs on to customers.

Kraft (NYSE:KFT) the food maker that it’s engaged in a hostile bid to acquire England’s chocolate maker, Cadbury, will likely see its shares under pressure as investors fear that the food maker will enter into a bidding war with Hershey (NYSE:HSY), after reports that the Pennsylvania based chocolate maker is preparing a solo bid for Cadbury that will top Kraft’s (NYSE:KFT) offer. Hershey’s bid will raise the stakes on the chocolate wars and may drive the price of Cadbury higher.

Shares of LaBranche & Co. (NYSE:LAB), the broker dealer, surged more than 20% in Germany after the company agreed to sell its business that facilitates trades at the New York Stock Exchange to Barclays for $25 million. LaBranche plans to quadruple its authorized share buyback to $100 million after the sale and buy all its debt including senior notes totaling $189.3 million. The sale, due to be completed by the end of the month, will free up $76 million in capital.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) is a stock to watch as the defense company announced it is in negotiations with Pentagon officials that would tie future profits in the $27 billion development phase of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to successful completion of tests and plane deliveries.

Retailers will be in focus as holiday retail sales were weaker than expected, Target (NYSE:TGT) will receive especial attention as the retailer announced that its resuming its $10 billion share buyback program as business is improving. At the end of the third quarter, Target had acquired 95.2 million shares for about $4.9 billion, or half of the amount authorized by the company's board in late 2007. Executives expect to complete the program in two or three years.