U.S. Stock Futures Point Lower

Stock index futures pointed to a weaker open for equities on Wall Street Tuesday after steep gains in the previous session, with futures for the S&P 500, for the Dow Jones and for the Nasdaq 100 down 0.2 to 0.3 percent.

The Conference Board releases August consumer confidence at 1400 GMT (10 a.m. EDT). Economists expect a reading of 52.0 compared with 59.5 in July.

Peabody Energy (BTU.N) and ArcelorMittal (ISPA.AS) have won over Macarthur Coal (MCC.AX) with a sweetened A$4.9 billion ($5.2 billion) takeover offer, after a rival bidder failed to emerge for the Australian coal miner.

ICSC/Goldman Sachs will release at 1145 GMT (7:45 a.m. EDT) chain store sales for the week ended Aug. 27 versus the prior week. In the previous week, sales fell 1.0 percent.

The Federal Open Market Committee issues minutes from its meeting of Aug. 9.

India's Future Group is in talks with a clutch of potential buyers, including JPMorgan (JPM.N) and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co (KKR.N), to sell its financial services arm, Future Capital Holdings (FCHL.NS), three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

At 1255 GMT, (8:55 a.m. EDT) Redbook releases its Retail Sales Index of department and chain store sales August versus July. In the prior period, sales rose 0.2 percent.

Standard & Poor's releases at 1300 GMT (9 a.m. EDT) its S&P Case/Shiller Home Price Index for June. Economists expect the index to be unchanged, a repeat of the May reading.

President Barack Obama, under pressure to spur job growth, said Monday he had chosen Princeton labor economist Alan Krueger to become the top White House economist and that he will offer a jobs plan next week.

Resource-related shares will be in focus as Brent crude rose for a sixth straight session on Tuesday, buoyed by a landmark bank merger deal in Greece and strong data from the United States that allayed fears the world's top oil consumer was sliding back into recession.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares rose 1.4 percent on Tuesday, extending the previous session's strong gains, on rising expectation that key U.S. macroeconomic data due this week will ease fears over the prospect of another global economic downturn.

On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 254.71 points, or 2.26 percent, at 11,539.25. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 33.28 points, or 2.83 percent, at 1,210.08. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 82.26 points, or 3.32 percent, at 2,562.11.

(Reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)