NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures fell on Wednesday after disappointing results from bellwethers overseas, while investors awaited figures on U.S. durable good orders and new home sales.

  HONG KONG (Reuters) - Global consumer confidence is rebounding, and in the United States has risen for the first time since 2007, amid signs the world economy is picking up although spending is still restrained, a survey showed on Wednesday.

  ATLANTA (Reuters) - General Dynamics Corp reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday as strength in defense sales helped offset weakness in business jets.

  LONDON (Reuters) - Ford named a consortium led by China's Zhejiang Geely Group Holding Co. as preferred bidder for its loss-making Swedish unit, Volvo Car Corp., but said more detailed talks were needed before any final agreement.

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury Department is in talks with GMAC Financial Services Inc about a possible third cash infusion to the company, an Obama administration official confirmed on Tuesday night.

  (Reuters) - Kenneth Feinberg, the Treasury bailout program's special master for compensation, who cut total compensation for top earners at seven bailed-out firms last week, increased base salaries at the companies, the Wall Street Journal said, citing its own analysis of Treasury data.

  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Health insurer WellPoint Inc posted an 11 percent decline in third-quarter profit on Wednesday as layoffs among customers led to lower membership, but results crushed estimates on improvements in its business serving seniors and low-income Americans.

  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc reported a bigger-than-expected increase in quarterly profit on Wednesday, helped by higher prices, and raised its full-year outlook.

  GRAZ, Austria (Reuters) - Top officials from Magna and Opel expressed confidence on Wednesday that General Motors will go through with selling its European arm to Canada's Magna despite a second chance to review the deal.

  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Qwest Communications International Inc posted quarterly revenue that was slightly below Wall Street expectations but its shares rose almost 4 percent as it increased its profit outlook for the year.