RTRS: US stock futures seen adding to Monday's strong gains
* U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher opening on Tuesday, following the previous session's strong rally, but gains could be limited by negative news in the tech sector and bleak economic data from Japan.
* At 1040 GMT S&P 500 futures SPc1, Dow Jones futures DJc1 and Nasdaq 100 futures NDc1 were up 0.3 to 0.6 percent.
* Tech shares will be in the spotlight after Japan's Sony (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said it will slash about 8,000 jobs, or 4 percent of its workforce, scale back investments and pull out of businesses as it aims to cut $1.1 billion in costs out of its ailing electronics operations.
* Chip maker Texas Instruments Inc (TXN.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and smaller rival National Semiconductor Corp (NSM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) slashed current-quarter revenue forecasts to far below Wall Street expectations, as demand for cell phone and analogue chips came to a virtual standstill. Chip makers Broadcom Corp (BRCM.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Altera Corp (ALTR.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) also warned of weaker-than-expected demand.
* Texas Instruments' shares fell 5 percent in extended trade on Wall Street while National Semiconductor stock dropped 7 percent after both forecast dramatic, 30 percent sequential declines in sales for what is normally the strongest quarter due to holiday sales of consumer products.
* Shares of automakers will remain in focus as the White House and congressional Democrats are expected to finalise a $15 billion proposal to bail out automakers shortly, a plan that will carry stiff conditions to sell the package to lawmakers
* Worries over the global economy were back at the forefront of investors' minds on Tuesday, after data showed Japan's economy sank deeper into recession in the third quarter than initially estimated, fuelling worries that the world's No.2 economy is facing its longest contraction ever.
* The Japanese government has called for more spending, which one newspaper said could total $216 billion, or around 3.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
* U.S. economic indicators on tap for Tuesday include pending home sales for the month of October and the NFIB survey of small business economic trends.
* Companies expected to report earnings on Tuesday include AutoZone Inc (AZO.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Pall Corp (PLL.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and The Kroger Co (KR.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).
* Ford Motor (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) is in talks to sell its Volvo car business to its China partner Changan Automobile Group, the National Business Daily reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed source at the Chinese company.
* Global airlines look set to return total losses of $5.0 billion in 2008 and are heading for $2.5 billion of losses in 2009, industry body IATA said on Tuesday. (Reporting by Blaise Robinson; Editing by Hans Peters)
