Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will likely acknowledge the central bank is actively considering another round of monetary easing in his keynote Jackson Hole speech later in the day. But he could disappoint markets if he stops short of signaling another bond-buying programme is imminent, which many analysts say is a strong possibility.

The Institute of Supply Management Chicago releases its August index of manufacturing activity at 1345 GMT. Economists forecast a reading of 53.5, compared with 53.7 in July.

A Tokyo court ruled on Friday that Samsung Electronics' (005930.KS) mobile devices did not violate an Apple Inc (AAPL.O) patent involved in synching mobile devices and computers, awarding the South Korean maker a victory a week after it lost a bruising landmark patent case in the United States.

Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers release final August consumer sentiment index at 1355 GMT. Economists expect a reading of 73.6, a repeat of the preliminary August figure.

Google Inc (GOOG.O) Chief Executive Larry Page and Apple (AAPL.O) CEO Tim Cook have been conducting behind-the-scenes talks about a range of intellectual property matters, including the mobile patent disputes between the companies, people familiar with the matter said.

The Commerce Department releases July factory orders at 1400 GMT. Economists expect a rise of 1.9 percent, compared with a 0.5 percent drop in June.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), a major player in providing clearing and settlement services to other financial firms, plans to reduce some services to clients and sever ties with others as it seeks to reduce risks involved in the business, the Wall Street Journal said.

Economic Cycle Research Institute releases at 1430 GMT its weekly index of economic activity for August 24. In the prior week, the index read 123.3.

The FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares rose 0.4 percent after falling to a four-week low at the open on Friday, with focus on Bernanke's Jackson Hole speech.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday after several days of muted trading as investors took a defensive posture. The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI dropped 0.8 percent, the Standard & Poor's 500 .SPX fell 0.8 percent and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 1.1 percent. (Reporting by Atul Prakash)

• A Permanent Economic Emergency