US STOCKS-Futures climb on vaccine hopes, upbeat retail sales data

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* Boeing up on report 737 MAX declared safe by Europe
regulator
* Retail sales accelerate in September
* Futures up: Dow 0.43%, S&P 0.37%, Nasdaq 0.71%

(Adds comment, details; Updates prices)
By Medha Singh and Shivani Kumaresan
Oct 16 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures rose on Friday
as Pfizer said it could apply for emergency use of its COVID-19
vaccine candidate as early as November and as data showed
stronger-than-expected retail sales growth last month.
The drugmaker's shares PFE.N firmed 2.1% in premarket
trading as it expects to provide safety data and file for
authorization of the vaccine, which it is developing with
Germany's BioNTech SE 22UAy.F , as soon as a safety milestone
is achieved in the third week of November. BioNTech's U.S.-listed shares BNTX.O jumped 3.4%.
"The markets trade on hopes and promise, and the Pfizer news
only aids that narrative even more," said Jake Dollarhide, chief
executive officer at Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa,
Oklahoma.
Latest data showed U.S. retail sales increased more than
expected in September, though the recovery from the recession is
at a crossroads as government money runs out and new COVID-19
infections surge across the country. Trading on Wall Street this week has been dictated by news
about more federal aid to help businesses and households reeling
from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the S&P 500 on
track for its smallest weekly gains in three.
Talks between Democrats and Republicans also seem unlikely
to yield a deal before the Nov. 3 election. President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden
will return to the campaign trail with visits to three
battleground states, a day after the two contenders clashed from
afar during dueling televised town halls. Meanwhile, after a mixed start to the third-quarter earnings
season from the big Wall Street lenders, investors will look
next week to results from Netflix Inc NFLX.O , one of the
technology mega-caps that have benefited from stay-at-home
demand during the pandemic.
Analysts' expectations for S&P 500 companies' earnings have
improved to an 18.8% fall from a 25% tumble forecast three
months earlier.
Schlumberger SLB.N dropped 1% after the top oilfield
services provider reported a third straight quarterly loss.
At 8:36 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis 1YMcv1 were up 123 points, or
0.43%, S&P 500 e-minis EScv1 were up 12.75 points, or 0.37%,
and Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQcv1 were up 83.75 points, or 0.71%.
Boeing Co BA.N rose 4% as a report said Europe's aviation
regulator had declared the U.S. planemaker's 737 MAX safe to fly
again. Gilead Sciences Inc GILD.O slipped 0.9% as a World Health
Organization study concluded its COVID-19 drug remdesivir does
not help patients who have been admitted to hospital. The
company has questioned the findings of the study.