Stock futures fall after soft China, Japan data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures dipped on Monday, indicating the S&P 500 may retreat from a record high, as soft data in China and Japan stoked global growth concerns.

* Economic data showed China's exports rose at a slower than expected pace and imports dropped 6.7 percent in November, while Japan's economy shrank more than expected in the third quarter.

* The data put a damper on recent enthusiasm over the U.S. economy, after a strong payrolls report on Friday sent the S&P 500 to its 49th record close of the year. The benchmark S&P index has risen for seven weeks, its longest stretch in nearly a year, and is up more than 11 percent from an October low.

* Merck & Co Inc said it would buy Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc in a deal valued at $9.5 billion. Merck shares edged up 0.2 percent in light premarket trading while Cubist shares rose 34.5 percent to $99.98 before being halted.

* Energy shares may come under pressure on Monday as Brent crude fell to a new five-year low on predictions that oversupply would keep building until next year. The S&P energy index is down over 9 percent for the year, making it the only one of the 10 major S&P sectors in the red for the year. [O/R]

* European shares were lower after the data from China and Japan. In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.3 percent while Tokyo's Nikkei managed a slight gain. [.EU]

(Editing by Bernadette Baum)

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