(Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower opening on Wall Street on Wednesday, with General Motors in focus on reports it may be heading for a "controlled" bankruptcy.
* At 0922 GMT, futures for the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq were down between 1 and 1.1 percent.
* On the macro side, a nationwide measure of U.S. manufacturing activity was expected to reflect ongoing contraction in this key sector in March. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index was expected to read 36, barely changed form February's 35.8.
* Washington is seeking to ease General Motors Corp into a "controlled" bankruptcy by persuading some creditors to agree to a plan that would divide the company into two, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
* GM shares traded in Frankfurt
* The biggest automakers, including General Motors and Ford
* General Motors said it had not approached the British government to discuss a 600 million pound ($859 million) aid package for its Vauxhall marque, as the Financial Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.
* Other macro data due on Wednesday include ADP National Employment, and mortgage figures.
* There are no major companies due to report results.
* World leaders were meeting in London under intense pressure to produce a morale-boosting response to the worst economic downturn seen since the 1930s.
* The FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top European shares was down 0.7 percent around midday, trimming the previous session's sharp gains, with banks, oils and miners among the biggest fallers.
* U.S. stocks climbed on Tuesday, sending the S&P 500 to its best month since October 2002, as investors snapped up top-performing bank and technology shares as the first quarter came to an end.
* The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 1.2 percent; the Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 1.3 percent; the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> climbed 1.8 percent.
(Reporting by Brian Gorman; Editing by Dan Lalor)