Stock futures point to higher open on Wall Street

PARIS (Reuters) - Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.39 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.27 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.33 percent at 0811 GMT (4:11 a.m. EDT).

Wal-Mart Stores and Home Depot will be in focus as the retail majors report quarterly results. Wal-Mart is expected to report earnings of 96 cents per share on sales of $105.4 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, up from 88 cents per share on sales of $100.91 billion a year earlier.

On the data front, investors awaited the Producer Price Index and the housing starts and permits for July, at 1230 GMT (8:30 a.m. EDT), as well as the Federal Reserve's industrial production and capacity utilization data for July, due at 1315 GMT (9:15 a.m. EDT).

Crude rose from a one-month low on Tuesday as a weaker dollar edged out concerns about the pace of global economic recovery and U.S. petroleum inventory data.

Japan's Nikkei average fell 0.4 percent to its lowest close in more than eight months on Tuesday, with the yen holding on to gains against the dollar as mounting signs of weak economic growth dampened appetite for risk, while European stocks edged higher, led by miners which found support in steady metal prices.

Urban Outfitters Inc posted a bigger-than-expected quarterly profit as its fresh styles remained a favorite with shoppers, boosting sales across its brands and sending its shares up 4 percent after the bell.

Electronics testing equipment maker Agilent Technologies Inc posted a quarterly profit that beat Wall Street estimates, driven by growth across all segments, and raised its full-year profit outlook.

Spain's Banco Santander has renewed talks to merge its U.S. operations with New York regional lender M&T Bank Corp , the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

U.S. stocks ended flat on Monday, after managing to reverse the session's losses. The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> ended down 1.14 points, or 0.01 percent, at 10,302.01. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 0.13 point, or 0.01 percent, at 1,079.38. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 8.39 points, or 0.39 percent, at 2,181.87.

(Reporting by Blaise Robinson; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)