By Adam Haigh May 14 (Bloomberg) -- European stock-index futures dropped amid lingering concern that the region’s fiscal crisis will hamper economic growth. Asian shares fell, while U.S. futures were little changed. European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. may retreat after the maker of Airbus planes reported a decline in first-quarter profit. Sony Corp. slumped 7 percent in Tokyo after forecasting earnings that missed analysts’ estimates. Futures on the Euro Stoxx 50 Index fell 0.5 percent to 2,721 as of 7:16 a.m. in London. The U.K. FTSE 100 Index is poised to open 16 points lower, according to inter-dealer broker BGC Partners. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rallied 8.5 percent this week after the European Union unveiled a 750 billion-euro ($943 billion) financial assistance package, backed by European Central Bank bond purchases, aimed at stopping the sovereign- debt crisis from spreading. The measure is on course for the biggest weekly gain since November 2008. Sony, a bellwether of consumer spending, said it may suffer a “significant impact” if Europe’s deficit problems spread and forecast net income for this fiscal year that’s less than half the average estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The sovereign-debt crisis is “deepening” and the foundations for a worldwide recovery aren’t “solid,” Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said last night. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index lost 0.9 percent and futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index expiring in June were little changed today. U.S. Retail Sales Sales at U.S. retailers rose in April for a seventh straight month, showing consumers are joining the recovery as employment picks up, economists forecast before a report from the Commerce Department at 8:30 a.m. in Washington. Other reports today may show manufacturing picked up, consumer confidence increased and businesses boosted inventories. EADS will probably fall after posting a 39 percent decline in first-quarter profit as the maker of Airbus planes suffered from poorer currency hedges. Earnings before interest and taxes fell 64 percent to 83 million euros. Analysts in a survey had predicted Ebit of 120.7 million euros. Sony slumped 7 percent to 2,945 yen after the maker of Cyber-shot cameras forecast net income of 50 billion yen ($540 million) this fiscal year, less than half the average of 19 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Nomura Holdings Inc. cut their price estimates for Sony shares. Saras SpA may move after swinging to a loss of 9.3 million euros in the first quarter from a profit of 58.2 million euros a year ago. Excluding the changing value of inventories, the Italian oil refiner reported a net loss of 29.9 million euros. That compares with an 11.3 million-euro loss forecast from analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. To contact the reporter on this story: Adam Haigh in London at ahaigh1@bloomberg.net

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