By Steve Goldstein, MarketWatch LONDON (MarketWatch) - U.S. stock futures nudged forward on Monday as investors braced for another week of rocky data and earnings as the race for the White House comes to a close. S&P 500 futures added 1.4 points to 968.70 and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 4.5 points to 1,341.50. Dow industrial futures rose 22 points. U.S. stocks closed their worst month in 21 years with a big rally last week - the Dow industrials rose 11.3%, the S&P 500 added 10.5% and the Nasdaq Composite rose 10.9%, as investors looked past the gloom from corporate profits and economic indicators and at signs showing thaws in the credit crunch. Heading into Monday, the three-month LIBOR rate for dollar loans has dropped for fifteen straight days. "We are seeing some easing of the credit crisis," said Paul Nolte, director of investments at Hinsdale Associate. "But we'll continue to have lousy economic numbers for at least the next three to six months, if not more, and earnings will be the same." The conclusion of the presidential race also will be in the spotlight, with a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finding Sen. Barack Obama with a 51%-to-43% lead against Sen. John McCain. The election is Tuesday. For Monday, the Institute of Supply Management's manufacturing index for October is due for release. Monthly auto sales also are on tap with General Motors sales seen falling up to 50%. Results are due from Goodyear Tire & Rubber MasterCard and Viacom. VeraSun Energy , which already was trading below $1 a share, late Friday announced it was going to file for bankruptcy protection. The initial public offering of Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts will be delayed until 2009, the private-equity group's European-listed fund said Monday. Oil futures fell 79 cents to $67.02 a barrel and the dollar rose 0.6% vs. the Japanese yen. The FTSE 100 rose 0.7% in London and the Hang Seng added 2.7% in Hong Kong. Japanese markets were closed.

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