U.S. stock futures dropped Tuesday after a three-day break, as concerns over possible automaker bankruptcy and contagion effects from Eastern Europe's meltdown weighed on sentiment. S&P 500 futures fell 14.7 points to 805.40 and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 27.5 points to 1,201.70. Dow industrials futures lost 116 points. U.S. stocks closed last week with losses on concerns that plans to stimulate the economy and rescue bad banks would fall flat. The S&P 500 and the Dow industrials both lost about 5%. Tuesday marks the deadline for General Motors and privately held Chrysler LLC to submit recovery plans to the government, a condition to get billions of dollars in loans. Ex-Lazard banker Ron Bloom is expected to be named a key government adviser, The Wall Street Journal reported, and he is expected to be tough on the automakers. GM shares fell 4% in Frankfurt. Separately, Daimler reported a $1.9 billion fourth-quarter loss, partly on heavy losses linked to its stake in Chrysler as well as sharp drop in Mercedes-Benz sales. The carmakers need to submit their plans by 5 p.m. Eastern. Also on the docket Tuesday will be results from Wal-Mart Stores. The world's largest retailer is expected Tuesday to report a lower profit for its fiscal fourth-quarter, hurt by higher expenses and a stronger dollar. Analysts expect Wal-Mart will earn 98 cents a share, excluding a charge from class-action lawsuits. On Tuesday, surveys from New York area manufacturers and the National Association of Home Builders will give traders a taste of how factories and the real-estate sector have been faring this month. Also, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard will deliver a speech. The dollar rose against rivals, notably the euro, which was hurt by worries over Eastern Europe exposure. Europe stocks dropped, as the FTSE 100 fell 1.5% in London and the German DAX lost 1.9% in Frankfurt. Reflecting the market nervousness, gold futures shot up $21 an ounce. Asian stocks lost ground on concerns over earnings from Hong Kong and Chinese banks. The Nikkei 225 fell 1.4% in Tokyo and the Shanghai Composite lost 2.9%. U.S. investors also will get their first chance to react to the news of the annualized 12.7% contraction in Japan's economy during the Dec.-ending quarter, that economy's worst performance since the 1974 recession. Elsewhere, Exxon Mobil on Monday that it replaced more oil reserves than it produced during 2008. Exxon edged up 1% in Frankfurt action. Trump Entertainment Reports has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to Reuters.

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