Stock futures up as investors look for stimulus, Apple gains

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures mostly rose on Monday as investors awaited signs from central banks that they would inject new stimulus into the economy to boost economic growth, and as APPLE (AAPL.NQ)surged following a court victory.

* News the European Central Bank was considering setting yield-band targets in a new bond-buying program that could help contain euro zone borrowing costs lifted positive sentiment on Friday, but many questions remain about the timing and size of any possible action.

* Investors are looking ahead to a meeting of central bankers at Jackson Hole, Wyoming starting on Friday for clarity on what the U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank will do to support an economy showing signs of slowing growth.

* Equities have rallied on growing expectations for stimulus, and the news from Jackson Hole could determine whether the recent rally that took the S&P index to four-year highs will persist.

* Daily trading volume is expected to be extremely light ahead of the meeting, and as many market participants are out on vacation ahead of the Labor Day holiday on September 3. Last week, volume was among the lowest of the year.

* Apple Inc gained 2.1 percent to $677.40 in premarket trading after the company won a sweeping victory in a patent lawsuit against Samsung Electronics <005930.KS>. Samsung said it would contest the verdict, which orders it to pay $1.05 billion in damages.

* The premarket rise indicates that Apple will continue its meteoric rise after already having gained about 64 percent so far this year.

* Energy shares will be in focus on Monday, with crude oil advancing 1 percent on concerns a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico could suspend U.S. production.

* S&P 500 futures rose 4 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 6 points and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 15 points.

* Car rental firm Hertz Global Holdings said it would buy smaller rival Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group for about $2.3 billion, ending more than two years of an on-off takeover battle.

* European shares <.FTEU3> edged slightly higher, though trading volume was extremely light with the UK market shut for a bank holiday.

* Over the weekend, German Chancellor Angela Merkel tried to play down comments from the Bundesbank, which compared the ECB's bond-buying program to a dangerous drug, as well as comments from an ally who said Greece should leave the euro zone.

* Wall Street rose on Friday on news of the European bond-buying program, though a six-week string of gains in the S&P and Dow ended amid shifting expectations for central bank stimulus.

(Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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