IBT Staff Reporter

Stock futures were little changed on Wednesday, but could build on the previous session's gains on the strength in commodities.

European shares were lower at midday on Wednesday after sharp gains in the previous session on global economic recovery hopes, with banking and industrial engineering shares leading the decline.

U.S. mortgage applications surged last week to their highest since mid-May as consumers sought to take advantage of the lowest interest rates in months, data from an industry group showed on Wednesday.

Britain's top share index eased in mid-session trade on Wednesday, with weakness in energy and food retailers offsetting some strength in miners and banks, as investors await the start of the third-quarter corporate results season in the United States.

Millions of American job-hunters risk permanent unemployment as industries undergo radical change and some skills become irrelevant in the wake of the worst U.S. economic recession in 70 years.

* U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open for Wall Street on Wednesday, extending the previous session's sharp gains and ahead of the start of third-quarter earnings season, with aluminium group Alcoa (AA.N) the first in line.

Stock index futures were little changed on Wednesday, but could build on the previous session's gains on the strength in commodities.

Stock futures pointed to a higher open for Wall Street on Wednesday, extending the previous session's sharp gains and ahead of the start of third-quarter earnings season, with aluminum group Alcoa the first in line.

Oil prices rose for the third straight day on Wednesday, edging above $71 a barrel after an industry report showed a drawdown in U.S. crude inventories, boosting the view demand was recovering.

Americans will have to save more in the future, transforming the global economy, and Europeans and Japanese must work to boost domestic demand, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

Vivendi (VIV.PA) is likely to sell its 20 percent stake in media company NBC Universal (NBCU) and may discuss the matter at a board meeting on Oct. 14, a source close to the situation told Reuters on Wednesday.

European shares edged higher in early trade on Wednesday, building on a major gain in the previous session, with miners among the biggest risers. At 0838 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares was up 0.2 percent at 995.15 points.

Britain's top share index was flat early on Wednesday as investors paused for breath after the previous session's sharp rise, with gains in miners offsetting weak energy stocks and ahead of the U.S. third-quarter earnings season.

Costco Wholesale Corp beat analyst expectations after posting a lower fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday, suggesting an improvement in the weak U.S. retail environment.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open for Wall Street on Wednesday, extending the previous session's sharp gains and ahead of the start of third-quarter earnings season, with aluminium group Alcoa (AA.N) the first in line.

Microsoft's release of its new Windows 7 operating system is expected to increase demand for personal computers only slightly, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer told journalists in Munich on Wednesday.

Corrects to clarify in the first paragraph that the company made a lower fourth-quarter profit

Gold consumers across Asia greeted bullion's run to a record high cautiously on Wednesday, with a few moving to cash in gains but the majority opting to wait for the rest of a rally they believe has only just begun.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open for Wall Street on Wednesday, extending the previous session's sharp gains and ahead of the start of third-quarter earnings season, with aluminum group Alcoa the first in line.

Julius Baer will buy ING's Swiss private banking assets for 520 million Swiss francs ($507 million), the European wealth management industry's biggest deal since the crisis began.

A U.S. Federal Reserve report found that banks in the country are slow to take losses on their commercial real estate loans that have been hit by slumping property values and rental payments, the Wall Street Journal said.

Gold slipped slightly from its all time high on Wednesday as the dollar steadied, while global stocks rose for the third day in a row.

Gold received a lukewarm reception a day after racing to a record high, with consumers in Asia more likely to be cashing in than panic buying.

A Federal Reserve official said on Tuesday that while the U.S. economy is clearly rebounding, it is too soon to begin to withdraw the Federal Reserve's massive support.

U.S. government-controlled mortgage finance companies Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are working on a program to help independent mortgage banks get access to short-term credit needed to make home loans, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Asian shares pushed up for a second day on Wednesday, with Taiwan's benchmark index nearing a 16-month high, as growing confidence in a strengthening global recovery boosted resource and financial companies.

Julius Baer , bulking up in its home market, has won the auction to buy the Swiss private banking assets of Dutch financial services group ING for around $500 million, two sources with knowledge of the deal said.

Amazon.com Inc is introducing Kindle, its wireless electronic reader, in over 100 countries, including China and most of Europe, intensifying a battle for the burgeoning digital book market.

Gold eased from record highs on Wednesday as investors took profits, but sentiment remained bullish and a fresh record was within sight as the dollar's weakness and inflation concerns reinforced bullion's appeal as a hedge.