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US STOCKS-Wall St to open flat after weak data

Reuters - UK Focus

* Durable goods data unexpectedly weak

* Kraft up 34 pct, Kofax adds 46 pct after separate deal news

* Futures: Dow off 6 pts, S&P up 1 pt, Nasdaq up 6 pts (Updates prices, adds data, comment)

By Rodrigo Campos

NEW YORK, March 25 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were set to open little changed on Wednesday following weak industrial orders data, with deals indicating investors still see value in the market despite indexes trading near all-time highs.

Futures barely budged after durable goods orders unexpectedly fell in February, data which pushed the dollar index lower. A weak dollar has been supportive of stocks of late as it eases fears that its steep rally will hurt corporate earnings.

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The dollar's rally from last year has been based on expectations that a stronger U.S. economy is pushing the Federal Reserve closer to raising rates.

"Bad economic news is taking the wind out of the sails with respect to a rate hike in June," said Kim Forrest, senior equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh.

"The market loves a zero interest rate policy."

S&P 500 e-mini futures were up a point and fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract, indicated a flat open. Dow Jones industrial average e-mini futures fell 6 points and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures added 6 points.

Kraft Foods (NasdaqGS: KRFT - news) jumped 34 percent in premarket trading after a merger agreement with ketchup maker H.J. Heinz Co, owned by 3G Capital (Other OTC: CGHC - news) and Berkshire Hathaway (Sao Paolo: BERK34.SA - news) . Kraft Heinz Co will trade publicly and will be the third-largest food company in North America.

Kofax Ltd rallied 46 percent premarket after Lexmark International, known for its printers, said it would buy Kofax in a deal of about $1 billion that would double the size of its enterprise software business. Lexmark shares jumped 7.9 percent.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Nick Zieminski)