US STOCKS-Futures dip as euro woes offset consumer spending

* Ireland gets bailout, investor jitters remain

* Euro hovers near two-month lows versus the U.S. dollar

* Focus on consumer shares as holiday shopping starts

* Futures: Dow flat, S&P off 0.2 pt, Nasdaq off 2.25 pts

* For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US] (Adds quote, byline, updates prices)

By Rodrigo Campos

NEW YORK, Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures dipped on Monday as lingering worries about Europe's ability to contain a credit crisis despite a bailout for Ireland more than offset signs of a U.S. consumer comeback.

U.S. shoppers appeared to be ready to open their wallets again after the recession, spending 6.4 percent more than last year during the Black Friday weekend, the traditional start to the holiday shopping season.

European stocks ticked 0.6 percent lower and the euro fell to two-month lows against the U.S. dollar after European Union finance ministers endorsed an 85 billion-euro loan package to help Dublin bridge its deficit and shore up the economy. For details, see [ID:nLDE6AS08D]

Nervousness about Ireland and the possibility it could lead to bigger problems as the euro zone works its way through a sovereign debt crisis has weighed on stocks in recent weeks.

U.S.-traded shares of European banks fell, with Deutsche Bank down 3.1 percent to $48.98 and Credit Suisse off about 1 percent to $38.02. But an ETF of U.S. financial stocks was unchanged in light morning trade.

"European concerns linger and the band-aid over the weekend doesn't seem to make people comfortable," said Steve Goldman, market strategist at Weeden & Co in Greenwich, Connecticut.

He said the recent outperformance in consumer-related stocks and with U.S. bank shares seeming to be holding better than their European peers could limit losses in the U.S. equities market.

S&P 500 futures dipped 0.2 point and were below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures were unchanged, and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 2.25 points.

Adding to global jitters, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak vowed retaliation against any further provocation after the North attacked a South Korean island last week and anger grew at the South's response. [ID:nL3E6MT0JM]

Whistle-blowing web site WikiLeaks leaked a vast cache of U.S. diplomatic cables, including ones that showed Saudi King Abdullah repeatedly urged the United States to attack Iran. [ID:nN28175961]

Wal-Mart Stores Inc made a $2.3 billion formal bid for 51 percent of Massmart Holdings Ltd to give it a substantial presence in South Africa and pave the way for further expansion in the continent. [ID:nLDE6AS03H]

Commodity-related shares led U.S. stocks lower on Friday in a shortened post-holiday session. Markets were closed on Thursday for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.

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To watch Reuters Insider report, "Upside resistance for S&P 500 is 1,220 short term, click: http://r.reuters.com/vas57q

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)