Futures rebound after sell-off; HP pressures techs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures rose on Wednesday, a day after Wall Street suffered its worst session since August on geopolitical turmoil in Libya.

* The unrest kept U.S. crude futures climbing to a 2-1/2-year peak above $96 a barrel. Investors were concerned the turmoil could spread to other top oil producers in the region and cut more output, weighing on energy stocks.

* A senior aide to Muammar Gaddafi's influential son Saif resigned, the latest top official to walk out after the Libyan leader vowed to crush a revolt that threatened his four-decade rule.

* S&P 500 futures rose 5 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures gained 47 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures added on 11.5 points.

* But European stocks fell for a third consecutive session, down 0.3 percent in morning trade, with tech shares among the top losers.

* U.S. technology shares will be in the spotlight after Hewlett-Packard Co trimmed its 2011 revenue forecast late Tuesday, citing weak consumer demand for personal computers and a lackluster showing from its services arm. The stock fell 9.9 percent to $43.48 in premarket trade.

* Investors will also watch January existing home sales data, due at 10 a.m. EST. Existing home sales are expected to fall in January to an annualized rate of 5.24 million units from 5.28 million, according to a Reuters survey.

* Nasdaq OMX Group Inc , left out of a global consolidation among exchanges, is exploring options that include teaming up with a partner on a rival bid for NYSE Euronext , a source said on Tuesday.

* The Federal Reserve's monetary policy should remain accommodative for some time yet, Chicago Federal Reserve President Charles Evans told the Financial Times.

* The U.S. Air Force may announce whether Boeing Co or Europe's EADS has won a projected $35 billion contract for 179 refueling planes as early as Thursday, a senior defense official said.

* Car rental company Hertz Global Holdings Inc posted a better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit on strong growth at its U.S. off-airport business.

(Reporting by Angela Moon; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

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