NEW YORK, June 12 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat open on Thursday as a round of disappointing data gave investors few reasons to buy, even after the S&P 500's biggest one-day drop in three weeks.
* Data on both retail sales and jobless claims were below expectations, though neither read was seen as so weak as to derail the thesis that economic conditions are improving.
* Retail sales rose 0.3 percent in May, half of the growth rate that had been expected, while the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week.
And when the collapse comes from this latest bubble, these same people will then be telling us that no one saw it coming!
