Stock index futures pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street as investors remained cautious ahead of the release of U.S. CPI and housing data.

* At 5:01 a.m. EDT, S&P 500 futures were up 0.3 percent, Dow Jones futures were 0.3 percent higher and Nasdaq futures were down 0.4 percent. * Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 index was up 0.3 percent in a choppy session, with energy stocks gaining as crude oil prices rose, while financials remained under pressure as UBS reported a first-quarter loss.

* U.S. CPI data, due out at 8:30 a.m. EDT, could contain ominous signs for those worried about deflation. Prices are expected to have ticked up a tenth of a percent in March from February, both on a core basis and excluding food and energy.

* The National Association of Home Builders releases its April Housing Market Index at 1700 GMT (1 p.m. EDT). Economists in a Reuters survey expect a higher index reading of 10, compared with March when the index was 9.

* Peabody Energy, whose coal powers about 10 percent of U.S. electricity generation, is expected to report a big jump in first-quarter profit despite the global economic downturn. Analysts on average expect Peabody to report earnings of $1.00 per share -- up from 26 cents per share in the same quarter of last year, according to Reuters Estimates.

* Investors will be keen to know if earnings growth at Abbott Laboratories can again eclipse other large drug makers, as it reports first-quarter earnings. A repeat performance will hinge on continued surging sales of arthritis drug Humira and the company's Xience stent.

* AMR Corp, parent of American Airlines, is expected to report a wider first-quarter loss, as consumers and businesses reduce travel in the recession.

* After the bell, shares of eBay Inc rose 5.3 percent on Tuesday after the online auction company said it plans a public offering for its Skype Internet telephone company.

* Shares of Intel Corp fell 4.7 percent in electronic trade following the market close on Tuesday after the company reported its quarterly results.

* The Wall Street Journal reported that JPMorgan Chase & Co , Wells Fargo & Co and others stepped up foreclosures on delinquent homeowners, a move that could further depress home prices.

* The U.S. government is considering swapping some of the $13.4 billion it lent General Motors for ownership in a stripped-down version of the auto maker, a move it hopes will push the United Auto Workers union and bondholders to accept similar concessions, said the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter.

(Reporting by Joanne Frearson; editing by Simon Jessop)

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