Futures on major U.S. stock indices rose on Tuesday as better-than-expected second quarter results from Alcoa late Monday gave boost to corporate earnings season. After rising for the last five consecutive sessions, futures on the S&P 500 are up 0.59 percent, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average are up 0.45 percent and Nasdaq100 futures are up 0.76 percent. Alcoa posted earnings of $136 million on stronger-than-expected 22 percent revenue growth, with the metals producer raising its global aluminum consumption forecast. Chip major Intel Corp. and fast-food operator Yum! Brands Inc. are due to report second quarter results after the market closes Tuesday. Before the Market opens: • European shares gained for the sixth straight day on Tuesday after Alcoa reported earnings that topped analysts’ estimates on Monday after market hours. Bank shares are gaining on news that new bank capital rules will be less difficult than originally estimated. • European markets are currently trading higher on Tuesday with FTSE 100 trading up by 73.13 points, DAX30 trading up by 81.21 points and CAC 40 trading up by 47.95 points. • BMW shares climbed 4.7 percent after the company raised its earnings outlook and expects sales volumes to increase by around 10 percent to more than 1.4 million units. • On economic front, UK inflation slows less than economists estimated in June. Consumer prices rose 3.2 percent from a year earlier, compared with 3.4 percent in May. Still the inflation remains well above the Bank of England's annual target of 2 percent. The core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose 3.10 percent from 2.9 percent in May. • On a monthly basis, German WPI fell to negative 0.20 percent in June against 0.30 percent in May and French CPI reported nil growth in June against 0.10 percent in May. • German ZEW Economic Sentiment, which determines the economic Sentiment of German institutional investors, fell to 21.2 in July from last month’s reading of 28.7. • Euro declined against dollar and yen after Moody's Investor Service downgraded Portugal's bond ratings to A1 from Aa2. Greek government successful sale of 1.625 billion euros of 26-week bills helped the euro to recover from its early declines. Euro is currently trading slightly lower at 1.2584 against dollar. • Crude oil futures gained 0.61 percent and copper futures declined 0.28 percent. In precious metal sector, both gold and silver advanced 0.63 percent and 0.46 percent, respectively. During Asian Market hours: • Asian markets are mostly lower Tuesday after China denied it was easing restrictions aimed at curbing its red-hot property market. The news from china wanes optimism from U.S. aluminum maker Alcoa's earnings. • Japanese Nikkei declined 0.11 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.18 percent and China’s Shanghai Composite declined 1.62 percent.

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