Stock index futures pointed to a firm opening on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.6 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.4 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.4 percent at 0735 GMT (2:35 a.m. ET).

U.S. Federal Reserve officials said on Monday recent economic data was disappointing, with one suggesting it could delay the Fed's exit from its extremely easy monetary policy.

The slowdown does change when you think the timing would be for when an exit strategy would be appropriate, Eric Rosengren, president of the Boston Federal Reserve Bank, told CNBC in an interview.

General Motors said May vehicle sales in China fell 2.7 percent, its second consecutive monthly decline amid a slowdown in the world's largest market. General Motors shares in Frankfurt fell 1.5 percent.

General Electric and Capital One Financial have submitted bids for ING's U.S. online banking operations in a deal worth about $9 billion, Bloomberg reported.

Shares in General Electric in Frankfurt slipped 0.3 percent, while those for Capital One lost 1.1 percent.

International Paper launched a $3.3 billion unsolicited offer for rival Temple-Inland , as it dug in for what could be a prolonged battle to dominate North America's corrugated packaging business. International Paper shares in Frankfurt advanced 2 percent.

NBC Universal and Blackstone Group said they had reached an agreement under which NBCU, controlled by Comcast Corp , will buy out the private equity firm's 50 percent stake in Universal Orlando for around $1.0 billion.

Walt Disney will cut about 200 positions at its movie studio unit, or just under 5 percent of its workforce, according to a person familiar with the matter, as it reduces its focus on home entertainment distribution of DVDs.

Business travel demand is holding up better than price-sensitive leisure travel in a sign of business confidence and a recovery in world trade, the chief economist of the International Air Transport Association said on Tuesday. Airlines also expect renewed growth in air cargo demand in the second half as movements of capital goods and high-value components pick up, IATA's Brian Pearce said.

European stocks were higher, with the FTSEurofirst 300 index <.FTEU3> up 0.4 percent -- rebounding from an 11-week closing low and after a four-session losing run. <.EU>

Brent crude edged up 0.1 percent to trade above $114 a barrel.

Economic data expected on Tuesday includes consumer credit for April. No S&P 500 companies were scheduled to report earnings.

The S&P 500 extended its slide to a fourth day on Monday, hitting its lowest level since March 18, after recent weak U.S. data lent support to a bearish outlook for the economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 61.15 points, or 0.5 percent, to 12,090.11. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 13.99 points, or 1.1 percent, to 1,286.17. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 30.22 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,702.56.

(Reporting by Blaise Robinson; Editing by Dan Lalor)

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