--Stock futures rise on cautious optimism over euro-zone issues --Europe leaning lower but well off lows, Asian bourses mixed --Data on August durable goods orders expected By Tomi Kilgore DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- U.S. stock futures rose Wednesday morning, stretching recent gains into a fourth session, as investors expressed cautious optimism that Europe will resolve its sovereign debt issues. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures tacked on 68 points to 11188. The Dow closed up 147 points on Tuesday, but pared intraday gains of as much as 325 points amid concerns over a split in the euro zone over terms of Greece's second bailout. Standard & Poor's 500 stock index futures gained 7 points to 1177 and Nasdaq 100 futures added 13 points to 2267. Changes in stock futures do not always accurately predict stock moves after the opening bell. In overseas markets, Europe leaned to the downside, but pared earlier large losses. Finland voted to approve changes to the euro-zone bailout fund, known as the European Financial Stability Facility. Germany votes on the changes Thursday. The changes need to be approved by all 17 euro-zone members. Separately, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he trusted the European Central Bank will do whatever is necessary to ensure the financial stability of the euro zone. The Stoxx Europe 600 was down 0.2%, but had been down as much as 1.3% at its intraday low. Asian bourses were mixed, with Japan's Nikkei 225 rising 0.1% but China's Shanghai Composite shedding 1%. Gold futures fell slightly to about $1648 an ounce. Crude oil futures slipped to just above $84 a barrel, but the direction may change after the release of inventory data at 10:30 a.m. ET. The U.S. dollar fell against the euro and the yen. On the economic calendar, data on durable goods orders during August will be released at 8:30 a.m. In corporate news, shares of Family Dollar Stores rallied 1.6% after the discount retailer reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that topped estimates and approved the buyback of up to $250 million of its common stock. Elsewhere, Accenture, an outsourcing and consulting company, and the electronics contract manufacturer Jabil Circuit reported quarterly results that topped estimates and provided favorable earnings outlooks. The shares were still inactive ahead of the open. Also, payroll services company Paychex topped fiscal first-quarter earnings and revenue estimates, and affirmed its full-year outlook. -By Tomi Kilgore, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2470; tomi.kilgore@dowjones.com
