Stock futures point to slight recovery

(Reuters) - Dow Jones futures were up 0.2 percent, S&P 500 futures up 0.5 percent, and Nasdaq futures up 0.6 percent by 6:22 a.m. EDT. European shares were slightly higher in choppy trade after record falls on Monday.

On Monday the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 3.6 percent, S&P 500 <.SPX> fell 3.9 percent, and Nasdaq <.IXIC> fell 4.3 percent.

* With the financial sector crisis intensifying, eyes are on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who speaks before the National Association for Business Economics.

* Aluminum maker Alcoa Inc is due to report third-quarter earnings, expected to fall to 51 cents a share from 55 cents a share a year earlier.

* Supermarket group Safeway Inc is due to report third-quarter earnings, with analysts forecasting 47 cents a share, up from 44 cents.

* Fast food restaurant chain Yum! Brands is also due to report, with third-quarter earnings set to rise to 54 cents a share, from 50 cents.

* Shares in Bank of America Corp fell 2.4 percent in extended trading on Monday after the bank cut its dividend, said it would sell $10 billion of new stock and released its quarterly results early. The shares were down 11.5 percent in Frankfurt .

* Weekly retail surveys from the ICSC and Redbook are due.

* Consumer credit for August data at 3:00 p.m. EDT, is likely to show that consumer credit rose $5.25 billion in the month, up from $4.56 billion in July.

(Editing by Paul Bolding)