IBT Staff Reporter

Stocks opened little changed on Tuesday as investors paused following a strong run-up in the previous session and after government data pointed to a slower than expected recovery in consumer spending in June.

Steven Rattner will leave as head of the U.S. autos task force, which oversaw bankruptcies at General Motors Corp and Chrysler Group, at a time when a probe into how the private equity firm he co-founded gained New York pension business has intensified.

Maybe it's because they seem primordial, or because you did really well in rocks for jocks, or actually know a thing or two about geology

Stocks headed for a flat open on Tuesday as government data pointing to a slower than expected recovery in consumer spending fueled caution even after strong quarterly earnings from Goldman Sachs Group

Goldman Sachs is expected to report 2Q earnings today. The bank reported a profit of $1.8 billion in the first quarter after earning strong revenues from its fixed income, commodities and currencies trading division. Shares are expected to rise as the markets open.

Stock index futures briefly turned negative on Tuesday following a report that pointed to underlying weakness in consumer spending in June.

Sales at U.S. retailers rose a stronger-than-expected 0.6 percent in June, boosted by a big jump in auto sales, Commerce Department data showed on Tuesday.

Google reports earning reasults on Thursday after the closing bell. Analysts expect $5.06 a share in profit, up from $4.63 last year.

British Airways said on Tuesday the timing was not right to raise funds in a rights issue, but it was looking at other options to improve its battered balance sheet.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc reported a 33 percent rise in quarterly earnings on Tuesday as a strong gain in trading was offset by a one-time charge to repay government loans.

Oil giant Exxon Mobil Corporation announced Tuesday it will invest more than $600 million to develop biofuels from photosynthetic algae at a large scale.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc on Tuesday reported second-quarter earnings.

Struggling flag carrier British Airways said on Tuesday it was considering launching a convertible bond, not a rights issue, to shore up its balance sheet during the global aviation sector downturn.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Tuesday he saw signs of confidence returning to the U.S. financial sector and pledged that the United States would pursue policies that preserve the dollar's value.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc executives sold almost $700 million worth of stock since the collapse of rival Lehman Brothers last year, the Financial Times said on Monday.

Intel, Goldman results awaited; ExxonMobil's alt fuel bet, retail results expected

The ever-weakening job market could well lead to an increase in online crime as laid-off workers, especially those with computer skills, turn to scams to support themselves, Cisco Systems Inc said in a mid-year security report to be released on Tuesday.

Stock index futures rose on Tuesday as investors bet that quarterly earnings from Goldman Sachs Group would kick off a strong reporting season for financial companies, offsetting caution over the looming release of June retail sales.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke arrive to China to stay through July 17 to highlight the potential for mutually beneficial relationships in the clean energy sector.

The United States will press China this week to lower its tariffs on clean energy technology as one of many steps the two countries can take to fight global warming, U.S. officials said on Monday.

Q-Cells SE, the world's biggest maker of solar cells, withdrew its full-year sales outlook and said it saw no signs of an upturn, in a surprise move that sent shares across the sector lower.

Toyota Motor Corp launched its first dedicated hybrid model under the premium Lexus brand on Tuesday, saying it had received orders worth six months of targeted sales in Japan.

Exxon Mobil Corp is expected to announce on Tuesday a $600 million investment to produce liquid transportation fuels from algae, the New York Times said.

Stock index futures were little changed on Tuesday as caution ahead of June retail sales offset hopes that Goldman Sachs will kick off a strong reporting season for financial companies.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a stronger open on Wall Street on Tuesday, ahead of eagerly-awaited quarterly results from Goldman Sachs .

China has banned electro-shock therapy as a treatment for Internet addiction, citing uncertainty in the safety and effectiveness of the practice after criticism in the local media.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Tuesday aggressive efforts to counter a global financial crisis were starting to work and acknowledged the United States had a special duty to help spur a recovery.

A burst of confidence in U.S. financial stocks lifted global equities on Tuesday ahead of results for bellwether Goldman Sachs.

Microsoft has seen an 8 percent unique user's increased on its Bing search engine since its launch a month ago.