After the S&P 500 .SPX fell for a second consecutive session, U.S. stock index futures climbed on Tuesday, as Reuters reports.
Alcoa Inc rose 1.1 percent to $16.35 before the opening bell. The firm reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit due to a boost from automotive demand, higher aluminum prices and lower energy costs.
Another sharp decline in energy shares as oil prices tumbled about 5 percent and growing concern over corporate profits sent equities lower for a second straight day. The benchmark S&P index has fallen in seven of the past nine sessions and is down 3 percent from its most recent record high on Dec. 29.
JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N), Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) and Citigroup Inc (C.N) are among the companies also due to report this week, along with Dow component Intel Corp (INTC.O).
According to Thomson Reuters data, fourth-quarter earnings are expected to show growth of 3.8 percent over the year-earlier period.
Brent was last down 3.5 percent at $45.75, while U.S. crude was off 3 percent at $44.67. Transocean (RIG.N) shares were down 1.2 percent at $15.33 in premarket trading.
As oil prices continued to stumble, shares of energy companies are likely to be under pressure again. Brent and U.S. crude touched their lowest levels in almost six years as a big OPEC producer stood by the group's decision not to cut output to tackle a glut in the market.
CTIC Biopharma Corp (CTIC.O) shares jumped 9.6 percent to $2.52 before the opening bell after the company forecast 2015 revenue between $55 million and $72 million, well above the Wall Street estimate. The stock was the most active on the Nasdaq in premarket trading, with volume of nearly 370,000 shares, about one-third of its 10-day average volume.
