Futures on major U.S. stock indices point to a higher opening on Wednesday as better-than-expected second quarter results from Intel late Tuesday boosted sentiment for corporate-profit trends. After rising for the last six consecutive sessions, futures on the S&P 500 are up 0.32 percent, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average are up 0.26 percent and Nasdaq100 futures are up 0.76 percent. On Tuesday, Intel reported its best quarter in history on strong demand from corporate customers. Net income was $2.9 billion, up $455 million from last quarter and $3.3 billion higher than the year-ago figure. Investors are cautious ahead of U.S. retail sales figures for June and import price index data to be released today. Retail sales likely fell for a second straight month in June and provide further confirmation the economic recovery is losing momentum. Investors will also closely watch U.S. financial firms due to report earnings this week, with JPMorgan Chase reporting on Thursday and Bank of America, Citigroup and General Electric releasing their numbers on Friday. Before the Market opens: •European shares pared earlier gains on Wednesday as earnings-inspired gains in the technology sector were offset by losses for auto makers and banks. The less-than-expected Euro-Zone industrial output also weighed on market sentiment. •Euro-Zone industrial output in May rose 0.9 percent against the analysts’ estimation of 1.2 percent. But the figure is 9.4 percent higher compared to the same month last year. •European markets are currently trading lower on Wednesday with FTSE 100 trading down by 32.52 points, DAX30 trading down by 8.25 points and CAC 40 trading down by 23.48 points. •Dutch based advanced technology systems provider ASML shares surged after it swung to a better-than-expected second-quarter net profit of 239 million euros compared to a loss of 104 million euros a year ago. •On economic front, the number of people claiming jobless benefits in UK fell for the fifth consecutive month to a 15-month low in June. The claims fell by 20,800 to 1.46 million in June against the economists’ estimation of 20,200. The unemployment rate decreased to 7.8 percent in June from 7.9 percent of previous month. •On yearly basis, the June month inflation in Euro-Zone rose 1.4 percent compared to 1.4 percent in May. The core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.9 percent from 0.8 percent in May. •The euro declined 0.03 percent to 1.2720 against the dollar. The dollar fell 0.08 percent to 88.66 against the yen. •Crude oil futures declined 0.61 percent ahead of US crude oil inventories data and copper futures rose 0.63 percent. In precious metal sector, gold futures declined 0.04 percent and silver futures advanced 0.10 percent. During Asian Market hours: •Asian stock markets climbed Wednesday after Singapore’s growth accelerated to a record 18.1 percent pace in the first half of 2010 coupled with forecast beating earnings from Intel added optimism for corporate-profit trends. •Singapore economy climbed 19.3 percent from the previous three months, and 26 percent compared to the second quarter of last year. The government is expecting that GDP will rise 13 percent to 15 percent in 2010 against its earlier estimates of 7 percent to 9 percent. •Japanese Nikkei surged 2.71 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index advanced 0.64 percent and China’s Shanghai Composite gained 0.82 percent.

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