Stock index futures pointed to a pause on Wall Street on Monday after last week's strong rally fueled by better-than-expected U.S. jobs data.

At 0837 GMT (3:37 a.m. ET), futures for the S&P 500 were down 0.02 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.07 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.08 percent.

Crude oil extended gains to an eight-week high above $82 a barrel on Monday, buoyed by a weaker dollar.

Investors were digesting comments by China's central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan, who said the timing of China's exit from economic stimulus would require prudence, easing concerns over immediate monetary policy tightening.

AIG is closing in on a deal to sell its foreign life insurance unit to MetLife Inc for about $15.5 billion in cash and stock, leaving it with a substantial minority stake in MetLife, sources familiar with the matter said.

Toyota Motor Corp's <7203.T> president said on Monday he believed that sales in North America could recover in March after a sharp decline last month as the automaker suspended sales of some recalled models.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp , the world's largest custodian of financial assets, said it agreed to acquire Germany's BHF Asset Servicing GmbH for about $343 million.

Japan's Nikkei average rose 2.1 percent to a six-week closing high on Monday, with exporters up on a weaker yen, while European shares gained 0.1 percent in early trade, up for the seventh consecutive session, helped by easing concerns over Greece's finances. <.T> <.EU>

U.S. stocks jumped and the Nasdaq hit an 18-month closing high on Friday as U.S. employers cut fewer jobs than expected last month and consumers showed signs of shedding their penny-pinching ways.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 122.06 points, or 1.17 percent, to end at 10,566.20. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> added 15.73 points, or 1.40 percent, to 1,138.70. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> rose 34.04 points, or 1.48 percent, to 2,326.35.

The Dow and the S&P 500 closed at their highest levels in six weeks. The S&P 500 is now off only 1 percent from a 15-month closing high set on Jan 19, having clawed back from a drop of more than 8 percent through February8. All three indexes are now positive for the year. For the week the Dow rose 2.3 percent, the Nasdaq added 3.9 percent and the S&P 500 climbed 3.1 percent.

(Reporting by Blaise Robinson; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)

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