Stock index futures point to lower start

(Reuters) - Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.4 percent while the Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 contracts were down 0.3 percent at 4.16 a.m. EDT.

European shares were flat in jittery early trade on Tuesday, steadying after four sessions of losses as euro zone ministers ratified the bailout for Spanish banks, but with growth and broader European debt concerns capping the upside.

Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Tuesday for the fourth straight session, reversing morning gains after weaker-than-expected Chinese imports stirred concerns about slowing demand in the world's second largest economy.

Germany's top court will consider on Tuesday whether Europe's new bailout scheme and budget rules are compatible with national law in a process influencing not just how to tackle the euro zone debt crisis, but how much deeper European integration can go.

ICSC/Goldman Sachs release U.S. chain store sales for the week ended July 7 at 7.45 a.m. EDT. In the previous week, sales rose 0.2 percent.

Redbook releases its Retail Sales Index of department and chain store sales for July versus June at 8.55 a.m. EDT. In the prior period, sales were up 0.2 percent.

Alcoa Inc's quarterly revenue and profit beat Wall Street's expectations even though prices for its aluminum are at nearly two-year lows, and it forecast growing demand in the aerospace and auto sectors.

Google Inc is close to paying $22.5 million to settle charges that it bypassed the privacy settings of customers using Apple's Safari browser, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing officials briefed on the settlement terms.

Intel Corp will spend more than $4 billion on up to 15 percent of ASML and bankroll the Dutch company's research into costly next-generation chipmaking technology, a major vote of confidence in the European firm that sent its U.S. shares soaring 6 percent.

Bankrupt aircraft maker Hawker Beechcraft Inc, owned by Goldman Sachs and Onex Corp , said it is in exclusive talks with a little-known Chinese aerospace firm over a $1.79 billion takeover, an offer that may flush out higher bids from other parties.

United Technologies Corp on Monday announced that its Sikorsky Aircraft unit had signed a five-year, $8.5 billion contract to build 653 H-60 Black Hawk and Seahawk helicopters for the U.S. Army and Navy.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> ended down 36.18 points, or 0.28 percent, at 12,736.29 on Monday. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 2.22 points, or 0.16 percent, at 1,352.46. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 5.56 points, or 0.19 percent, at 2,931.77.

(Reporting By Francesco Canepa in London; Editing by John Stonestreet)