MADRID (MarketWatch) — U.S. stock futures pushed higher on Monday, building on the moderate gains seen at the tail end of last week, as comments from Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen and China’s central-bank chief lent support to the bulls. A clutch of data reports are on the way, including readings on consumer spending and core inflation. Futures for the Dow industrials YMM5, +0.63% rose 90 points, or 0.5%, to 17,714, while those for the S&P 500 index ESM5, +0.52% added 8.9 points, or 0.4%, to 2,061.50. Coming out ahead, futures for the Nasdaq 100 index NQM5, +0.68% gained 27.50 points, or 0.6%, to 4,353.25. Given how negative last week was for stocks, a strong move higher isn’t too surprising, said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at Oanda. “The dovish comments from both Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen and People’s Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan are giving markets a big lift, and in the absence of negative data or news, I imagine this will continue to buoy the markets throughout the session,� Erlam said in emailed comments. At the tail end of Wall Street’s day on Friday, Yellen said gradual hikes are likely this year, but that the central bank will move cautiously, speaking at a conference sponsored by the San Francisco Fed. And speaking on Sunday, the PBOC governor said he saw “more room� for China to ease policy if the economy stays soft and inflation continues to weaken. On Monday, Chinese stocks closed at a seven-year high. Read: If the Fed doesn’t hike rates, it will be due to one of these charts Gains weren't limited to stock futures, as the Stoxx Europe 600 index SXXP, +0.68% rallied Monday, with the benchmark up by nearly 1%. Yellen’s comments triggered modest gains for Wall Street on Friday, though overall, it was another down week for markets. Standing out, the Nasdaq Composite COMP, +0.57% finished the session 0.6% higher, though it posted the biggest weekly decline since Oct. 10, 2014. The S&P 500 SPX, +0.24% and Dow industrials DJIA, +0.19% each closed up 0.2%, but suffered the biggest weekly declines since the end of January. Big week for data: This shortened week for investors will still see nonfarm-payrolls data arrive on Friday. It kicks off Monday with reports on core inflation, consumer spending and personal income for February, due at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Core inflation is set to rise 0.1%, unchanged from January, while consumer spending is poised to rise 0.3%, after a 0.2% fall in January. Read: What happens when the jobs report is released on Good Friday Yellen said Friday that the central bank would be “uncomfortable� raising rates if consumer prices, wage growth and other measures of underlying inflation were to weaken. At 10 a.m. Eastern Time, pending home sales for February are due for release. Stocks to Watch: Shares of Catamaran Corp. CTRX, +24.07% surged 25% in premarket after UnitedHealth Group Inc. UNH, +3.80% said it will buy the pharmacy-benefit manager for around $12.8 billion in cash. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. TEVA, -0.94% on Monday announced an agreement to buy Auspex Pharmaceuticals Inc. ASPX, +3.01% in a deal valued at $3.2 billion. Teva rose 1.7% in premarket, though Auspex wasn’t yet active. Cal-Maine Foods Inc. CALM, -0.20% CALM, -0.20% reported sales grew 11% in the third quarter due to increased demand, especially for specialty eggs, over the holiday period. AAR Corp. AIR, +0.27% will also report on Monday. Other markets: U.S. crude-oil prices fell 69 cents to $48.18 a barrel CLK5, -1.37% , while gold prices GCJ5, -1.43% dropped $16.40 to $1,108.30 an ounce. The dollar DXY, +0.52% was mostly steady against rivals.

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