UNITED STATES

U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Tuesday, following a strong advance in Monday's session and after Hewlett-Packard reported that quarterly profit matched its preliminary results.

The dollar was broadly higher on Tuesday as investors sold currencies associated with risk on concerns about the banking system while looking ahead to data on the outlook for economic growth.

Citigroup Inc (C.N) said on Tuesday that it would sell its Diners Club North America credit card business to Canada's BMO Financial Group (BMO.TO), as part of its strategy to shed noncore or unwanted assets.

U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Tuesday, following a strong advance in Monday's session and after Hewlett-Packard reported that quarterly profit matched its preliminary results.

* U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower opening on Wall Street on Tuesday, following the previous session's sharp gains, with futures for the S&P 500 SPc1 down 0.18 percent, Dow Jones DJc1 futures down 0.26 percent and Nasdaq 100 NDc1 futures down 0.38 percent at 0925 GMT.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower opening on Wall Street on Tuesday, following the previous session's sharp gains, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.18 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.26 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.38 percent at 0925 GMT (4:25 a.m. EST).

Financial markets did a quick about-face from the previous session's patterns on Tuesday with stocks falling, the dollar recovering some losses and gold dropping back a bit from record highs.

Playboy Enterprises Inc will outsource most of the business operations of its namesake magazine in an effort to curb losses, the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday.

Kenneth Feinberg, the Obama administration's pay czar, is being pressed by federal officials to relax executive compensation restrictions at American International Group Inc for 2010, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The U.S. Federal Reserve this month asked nine banks that were part of stress tests conducted earlier this year to submit plans to repay money injected under the Troubled Asset Relief Program , Bloomberg said, citing a person familiar with the situation.

The dollar recouped some of its overnight losses on Tuesday, while Asian shares slipped as investors shrugged off upbeat U.S. home sale data and took light profits on recent rallies.

Microsoft Corp has had talks with News Corp about a tie up, which would involve News Corp getting paid to take its news websites off Google Inc, a source familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

The dollar stabilized in early trade on Tuesday after losing ground in New York, while Asian shares slipped as investors shrugged off upbeat U.S. home sale data and took a breather after recent gains.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of more than 2.1 million baby cribs in the U.S. and Canada from Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc.

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Gold eased on Tuesday as investors booked profits after prices hit record highs the day before, but sentiment was underpinned by a weak dollar which makes bullion cheaper for holders of other currencies and boosts its appeal as an alternative asset.

A trade group for the lenders that finance half the capital equipment investment in the United States said on Monday that U.S. businesses remain hesitant about borrowing to invest in their operations.

As the economy shows signs of stabilizing, major retail brokers are increasingly comfortable with leaving the largest brokerage houses and setting out on their own, according to a company that provides services to the brokers.

Freddie Mac, the U.S. mortgage finance giant, said on Monday it is seeking $595 million in loan payments and other funds hung up after the bankruptcy of lender Taylor, Bean & Whitaker.

Lehman Brothers International , where more than $35 billion of hedge fund assets have been frozen since the bank's collapse last September, could return about $11 billion to fund managers by March if enough firms approve a new plan.

Apple's iPhone has attracted half of the world's smartphone traffic share and 55 percent in the US after it hit the market 28 months ago, mobile advertising network AdMob said on Monday in its October report.