US Stock Futures Rise: Retail Giants To Post Earnings

Stock futures point to a higher opening on Tuesday, ahead of earnings reports from Wal-Mart Stores WMT and Saks Inc. SKS, as well as US industrial production data. The Dow futures are up 65 points to 10,338, NASDAQ 100 futures are up 11.75 points to 1,831.75 and the S&P 500 futures are up 8.50 points to 1,085.6. Investors and the Wall Street community expect Wal-Mart to report its 2Q EPS at $0.96. According to Ben Potter, market strategist at IG Markets, "Earnings news from Wal-Mart in the U.S. will be a highlight for many -- the retail giant acting as an economic barometer in its own right." Others in the retail space, such as Home Depot Inc. HD and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. ANF, are expected to announce results before the market opens. On the economy front, data on housing starts and producer prices for July are due at 8:30 am EST, followed by the report on industrial production at 9:15 am EST. Elsewhere, European stocks posted gains, with the Stoxx Europe 600 index SXXP rising 0.5% in intraday trade. The US Dollar Index (DXY) shed almost 0.4% to $82.207. ANF closed at $38.00, up 0.98% in after hours trading yesterday. SKS closed at $7.62, up 0.13% in after hours. WMT closed at $50.41 and HD closed at $27.45, up 0.26% in after hours trading. Read more from Benzinga's Markets.