U.S. stock futures rose, following the longest monthly rally for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index in a year, before a report that may show manufacturing grew. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) and Bank of America Corp. (BAC) advanced as European lenders rallied. Halliburton Co. (HAL) and Alcoa Inc. (AA) rose at least 0.8 percent to pace gains among commodity producers. Apple Inc. (AAPL), which yesterday topped $500 billion in market capitalization for the first time, added 0.7 percent. S&P 500 futures expiring in March climbed 0.3 percent to 1,366.70 at 7:46 a.m. New York time. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 40 points, or 0.3 percent, to 12,977. “U.S. stocks and economic data appear to be moving at least two steps forward for every step back which, we believe, leads to a strengthening trend for both,� said Kully Samra, who manages U.K.-based clients for Charles Schwab Corp., which has $1.6 trillion of assets globally. “Rising oil prices are a risk to global growth, but we’re optimistic the improved environment will keep the recovery in motion.� The S&P 500 has risen 8.6 percent this year through yesterday on better-than-estimated economic data. Measures of technology and financial shares had the biggest gains among 10 groups during that period, adding at least 13 percent. Equity futures rose before data that may show manufacturing accelerated for a fourth straight month in February after Americans picked up the pace of spending a month earlier. Default insurance on Greek debt won’t be paid out, the International Swaps & Derivatives Association said after it was asked to rule whether part of the nation’s $170 billion bailout was a credit event. Banks Gain Financial companies gained as a gauge of banks in the Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 1.7 percent. Goldman Sachs advanced 0.5 percent to $115.71. Bank of America rose 0.9 percent to $8.04. Commodity producers rose after yesterday’s decline. Halliburton gained 1.1 percent to $36.98. Alcoa increased 0.8 percent to $10.25. Apple added 0.7 percent to $546.29. Now that its market value has exceeded $500 billion, the biggest challenge for the maker of iPhones and iPad tablet computers may be staying there. Apple is the sixth U.S. company that has ever crossed the threshold, according to data compiled by S&P. The others are Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), General Electric Co., Cisco Systems Inc., Intel Corp. and Exxon Mobil Corp., in chronological order. All five companies were below $500 billion a year after reaching that pinnacle, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. GE was the only one to surpass that value afterward. “Getting there is hard,� Howard Silverblatt, a New York- based senior index analyst at S&P, wrote yesterday in an e-mail. “Staying there is harder.� Walgreen Co. (WAG) slumped 1.2 percent to $32.75. The largest U.S. drugstore chain was cut to “underperform� from “neutral� at Bank of America. Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) tumbled 3.2 percent to $13.70. Jefferies & Co. cut its earnings estimate and said there’s a greater than 50 percent chance that the maker of BlackBerrys will miss the February quarter unit outlook. To contact the reporter on this story: Rita Nazareth in New York at rnazareth@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Baker at nbaker7@bloomberg.net

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