* U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open on Wall Street on Monday, mirroring gains in Asia and Europe, on mounting optimism over a recovery in corporate profits that has fuelled a sharp two-week rally on stock markets worldwide. * At 0900 GMT, futures for the S&P 500 SPc1, for the Dow Jones DJc1 and for the Nasdaq 100 NDc1 were up between 0.04 percent and 0.13 percent. * Oil rose for a third session on Monday to hit its highest level in more than three weeks, near $69 a barrel, as equity markets gained on hopes of an economic recovery that would boost fuel demand. [O/R] * The Nikkei share average .N225 gained 1.5 percent on Monday, rising for a ninth straight day -- its longest winning run in 21 years, on growing hopes for better-than-expected Japanese corporate earnings and an economic recovery. * European stocks were up 0.4 percent in early trade, resuming their sharp two-week rally after Friday's dip, with banks such as Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and UniCredit (CRDI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) up 2.1-2.7 percent. * According to Thomson Reuters data, of the 184 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings to date for the second quarter of 2009, 77 percent have reported earnings above analyst expectations. * On the earnings front, investors will keep an eye on results from Amgen (AMGN.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Corning (GLW.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Honeywell (HON.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), RadioShack (RSH.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Verizon (VZ.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), while on the macro side, the market was bracing for U.S. new home sales data, due at 1400 GMT. * Health insurer Aetna Inc (AET.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) is looking to sell its pharmacy benefits management (PBM) business, the Wall Street Journal said, citing several people familiar with the matter. [ID:nBNG434343] * The Nasdaq lost ground on Friday, halting a 12-day run-up, following Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) disappointing quarterly results, but a rise in pharmaceutical and energy shares lifted the Dow and the S&P 500 to fresh 8-month closing highs. * The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI rose 23.95 points, or 0.26 percent, to 9,093.24. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX advanced 2.97 points, or 0.30 percent, to 979.26. But the Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC shed 7.64 points, or 0.39 percent, to 1,965.96. * All three major U.S. stock indexes recorded a second weekly gain in a row, and since hitting multi-year lows in early March, the S&P 500 has gained 44.7 percent, the Nasdaq has surged almost 55 percent, and the Dow has risen about 39 percent. (Reporting by Blaise Robinson; editing by Simon Jessop)

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