Stock futures signal higher open; data eyed

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 rising 0.2-0.3 percent.

U.S. buyout fund Carlyle Group and some of China's top private equity funds are targeting the biggest ever delisting of a New York-listed Chinese company, attempting to privatize a firm directly targeted by shortseller Muddy Waters.

At 7:45 a.m. EDT ICSC/Goldman Sachs release chain store sales for the week ended August 11. In the previous week, sales were unchanged.

The Commerce Department releases July retail sales figures at 1230 GMT. Economists expect a 0.3 percent rise, compared with a 0.5 percent decrease in June.

A group of bondholders in Elpida Memory has put forward an alternative restructuring plan for the failed chipmaker, putting pressure on Micron Technology Inc to increase its takeover offer for the company.

July producer price figures are due at 1230 GMT. Economists forecast a 0.2 percent rise, compared with a 0.1 percent increase in June.

Agrium Inc , North America's biggest retail supplier of farm products and services, moved to fend off pressure from activist investor Jana Partners LLC by saying the company will not spin off its retail operations.

Redbook releases at 1255 GMT its Retail Sales Index of department and chain store sales for August. In the prior period, sales fell 0.2 percent.

Groupon Inc became the latest young consumer Internet company to disappoint Wall Street on Monday, when the world's largest online daily deals provider missed quarterly revenue expectations and gave a cautious profit outlook.

The Commerce Department issues Business Inventories for June at 1400 GMT. Economists expect a 0.2 percent rise, versus a 0.3 percent increase the prior month.

Quarterly results from top home improvement retailer Home Depot should provide clues on the state of the U.S. housing market. Wall Street expects it to continue to have outshone smaller rival Lowe's in the second quarter.

European stocks <.fteu3> rose 0.6 percent on Tuesday, reversing the previous session's dip ahead of euro zone macroeconomic data that could fuel expectation of further stimulus measures from the region's policymakers.

U.S. stocks ended slightly lower on Monday as fatigue set in after a six-day rally and disappointing Japanese growth data provided a fresh reminder of the headwinds facing the global economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> ended down 38.52 points, or 0.29 percent, at 13,169.43. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was down 1.76 points, or 0.13 percent, at 1,404.11. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was up 1.66 points, or 0.05 percent, at 3,022.52.

(Reporting by Atul Prakash/editing by Chris Pizzey in London.)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-futures-signal-higher-open-data-eyed-103832040--finance.html

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