* The Labor Department releases at 1330 GMT the January Consumer Price Index. Economists expect a 0.3 percent rise, compared with an unchanged reading in December. Excluding volatile food and energy items, CPI is expected to rise 0.2 percent, against a 0.1 percent increase in the prior month.

* President Barack Obama will stay focused on China on Friday with an announcement of streamlined financing for U.S. exporters that compete against foreign firms that are afforded "unfair advantages," White House officials said.

* The Labor Department issues Real Earnings for January at 1330 GMT. Economists forecast a rise of 0.1 percent, versus a 0.5 percent gain in December.

* Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) share of China's booming smartphone market slipped for a second straight quarter in October-December, as it lost ground to cheaper local brands and as some shoppers held off until after the iPhone 4S launch last month.

* The Conference Board releases at 1500 GMT its report on January leading economic indicators. Economists forecast a 0.5 percent rise, compared with a 0.4 percent increase in December.

* Diversified U.S. conglomerate 3M Co (MMM.N) is topping up staff pension plans with $800 million to $1 billion cash in 2012 as falling discount rates inflate its long-term liabilities, becoming the latest American company to inject cash into underfunded retirement plans.

* Companies announcing results included Campbell Soup (CPB.N) and H J Heinz (HNZ.N).

* Economic Cycle Research Institute releases its weekly index of economic activity for February 10. In the prior week, the index read 123.3.

* NetSpend Holdings Inc (NTSP.O), which provides prepaid debit cards and other financial services, said its quarterly profit marginally beat analysts' expectations as it issued more cards and it forecast strong revenue growth for this year.

* Baidu shares (BIDU.O) were down 2.4 percent after the bell on Thursday, while Applied Materials Inc (AMAT.O) were 3.6 percent higher following the release of their results.

* "Kung Fu Panda" creator Dreamworks Animation (DWA.O) may soon set up a production studio in China through a deal that could be announced on Friday during a U.S. visit by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.

* European shares .FTEU3 were 0.5 percent higher after hitting a six-and-a-half-month high as investors bet that Greece would sign a deal to secure a second bailout by Monday and thus avoid a messy default, which could have a rippling effect in the financial markets.

* The S&P 500 .SPX hit a nine-month high on Thursday, fueled by strong U.S. economic data and increased hopes for a deal on a Greek bailout next week.

* The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI gained 123.21 points, or 0.96 percent, to 12,904.16. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX climbed 14.82 points, or 1.10 percent, to 1,358.05. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC rose 44.02 points, or 1.51 percent, to 2,959.85.

(Reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)

• A Permanent Economic Emergency