Stock futures point to a higher start

(REUTERS, HIGHER, PERCENT, SHARES, INDEX, RELEASE)

(Reuters) - Stock futures pointed to a higher start on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P up 0.4 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.2 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.1 percent at 5 a.m. EDT.
In Europe, shares rose for a second straight session on Tuesday and were on track to post the biggest quarterly rise since late 1999, with banks advancing and commodity shares tracking higher crude oil and metals prices.
At 5 a.m. EDT, the FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares was up 0.2 percent at 860.96 points after rising up to 864.27 points and falling to a low of 858.01. The index closed 1.8 percent higher in the previous session.
American International Group Inc (AIG.N), the insurer rescued by a series of federal bailouts, is set to pad out its shrinking board on Tuesday when a new slate of directors stands for election at its annual meeting.
At 8:55 a.m. EDT is the release of the Redbook weekly U.S. Retail Sales figures for June versus May. In the prior period, sales fell 4.4 percent.
New York NAPM releases June index of regional business activity at 9 a.m. EDT. In the previous month, the index read 361.6.
Standard & Poor`s releases its S&P Case/Shiller Home Price Index for April at 9 a.m. EDT. Economists in a Reuters survey expect a fall of 1.8 percent versus a 2.2 percent decrease in the previous month.
The Institute of Supply Management Chicago releases June index of manufacturing activity at 9:45 a.m. EDT. Economists in a Reuters survey forecast a reading of 39.0 in the month compared with 34.9 in May.
At 10 a.m. EDT the Conference Board releases June consumer confidence. Economists in a Reuters survey expect a reading of 55.0 compared with 54.9 in May.
Shares of H&R Block Inc (HRB.N) rose 5 percent after the market close on Monday after the tax preparation company beat expectations for its fourth-quarter results.
U.S. stocks rose on Monday as higher oil prices lifted shares of energy companies and fund managers snapped up this quarter`s winners to burnish their portfolios.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI gained 1.08 percent, the Standard & Poor`s 500 Index .SPX was up 0.91 percent and the Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was up 0.32 percent.
(Reporting by Joanne Frearson; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)
Original article

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