Reply #10: Stock index futures point down as oil rises

[ozymandius]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures fell on Thursday, signaling a weaker market open a day after strong gains by the Nasdaq Composite index, as energy supply threats in Nigeria and Iran drove up crude oil prices.

Threats of renewed violence in Nigeria where around a fifth of production has been interrupted pushed up oil prices, casting doubt about the prospects for corporate profits and consumer spending.

Oil producer Iran has raised fears in the West that it is attempting to develop a nuclear bomb.

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Another concern for investors was the health of some retailers. Costco Wholesale Corp. (Nasdaq:COST - news) said on Thursday that quarterly profit fell from a year earlier but sales rose. The No. 1 U.S. warehouse club operator failed to meet analysts' earnings estimates.

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