U.S. stock-index futures were little changed, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (SPX) on track for its biggest monthly loss since May 2012, after data showed personal spending in July rose less than forecast and as concerns over Syria eased. Salesforce.com Inc jumped 8.6 percent as the provider of customer-management software announced sales and profit forecasts that beat analysts’ projections. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (KKD) tumbled 13 percent after reporting second-quarter earnings that trailed analysts’ estimates as costs increased. Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index expiring next month rose 0.1 percent to 1,638.50 at 8:34 a.m. in New York. Contracts on the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 2 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 14,836. “September promises to be an important month, as discussions on the U.S. debt situation resurface and as the holiday season ends,� Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Plc in London, wrote in an e-mail. “As investors roll up their sleeves for the last third of the year, volumes should pick up markedly from the current low levels.� The S&P 500 has fallen 2.8 percent in August amid concern the Federal Reserve will reduce its bond purchases and the U.S. may take military action against Syria. Trading has averaged about 5.5 billion shares a day, on track for the second-slowest month in at least five years. U.S. exchanges are closed Monday for the Labor Day holiday. Syria Concern The benchmark gauge rose 0.2 percent yesterday as the prospect of imminent military strikes on Syria receded. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron failed to gain parliamentary backing for military action and France signaled today it might act as the principal U.S. ally in a possible strike against Syria in response to alleged use of chemical weapons. Investors are also watching the political wrangling over the approaching limit on federal spending. The U.S. government is expected to exhaust its ability to borrow funds in mid-October, when it will hit the statutory debt limit, according to an estimate from the Treasury Department. Growing speculation the Federal Reserve will reduce its monthly bond buying has also weighed on equities in recent weeks. Minutes of the central bank’s July meeting released Aug. 21 showed policy makers supported stimulus cuts this year if the economy improves. The officials next meet Sept. 17-18. Consumer Spending Data today showed consumer spending in the U.S. rose in July for a third month as Americans’ incomes climbed, indicating household purchases are sustaining the economic expansion. Consumer purchases, which account for about 70 percent of the economy, rose 0.1 percent after a revised 0.6 percent increase the prior month that was larger than previously estimated, the Commerce Department reported today in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 0.3 percent rise. Incomes increased 0.1 percent. Investors awaited the release of MNI Chicago Report’s business barometer at 9:45 a.m. New York time. The regional index, viewed as an indicator of business activity across the U.S., increased to 53 from 52.3 in July, economists predicted in a Bloomberg survey. Salesforce.com Inc. (CRM) jumped 8.6 percent to $47.41. The company, which acquired e-mail marketing provider ExactTarget Inc. last month for $2.5 billion in its biggest deal ever, issued third-quarter sales and earnings forecasts that topped analysts’ estimates and raised guidance for the year. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., the chain that revived itself by expanding beyond sweet treats into coffee and smoothies, tumbled 13 percent to $20.18. Excluding certain items, second-quarter profit was 14 cents a share. Analysts on average estimated 16 cents, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Morgan in Frankfurt at jmorgan157@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Rummer at arummer@bloomberg.net

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