NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a nearly 1 percent rise at the open on Wednesday after data from China showed the world's third-largest economy was on track for faster growth, while comments from several Federal Reserve officials underscored a belief that low interest rates will remain intact.

  TOKYO (Reuters) - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday he believes strongly in the need to maintain a strong dollar and said the United States was determined to get its budget deficit down.

  (Reuters) - Unhappy over constraints imposed by U.S. government overseers, American International Group Inc Chief Executive Robert Benmosche told the company's board last week that he is considering stepping down, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

  BEIJING (Reuters) - China sent its clearest signal yet that it was ready to allow yuan appreciation after an 18-month hiatus, saying on Wednesday it would consider major currencies, not just the dollar, in guiding the exchange rate.

  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Department store chain Macy's Inc reported a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss on Wednesday, pointing to strong sales at its Bloomingdale's stores and online.

  TOKYO (Reuters) - Private equity firm TPG could partner with American Airlines on a minority investment in Japan Airlines to prevent its defection to a rival airline group, the chief financial officer of American parent AMR Corp said.

  SEGUIN, Texas (Reuters) - General Motors Co Chairman Ed Whitacre on Tuesday urged the Obama administration to give the automaker less restrictive pay caps and said it was too early to discuss the timing for the automaker to become a public company again.

  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission has set a one-month deadline to review Kraft Foods Inc's $16 billion hostile bid for British chocolate maker Cadbury after the U.S. food group notified EU regulators.

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pushing for tougher changes in U.S. financial regulations, the Senate's top banking legislator on Tuesday proposed a new super-cop to police banks, a systemic risk agency and strong consumer protections.

  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil firmed above $79 on Wednesday as a 15 month low in the dollar diverted investors' focus from fundamentals, with weekly U.S. government inventory data being delayed by one day to Thursday.