Stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open for Wall Street on Friday, as investors awaited results from software giant Microsoft and data on home sales.

At 4.57 a.m. EDT, futures for the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq were 0.1 to 0.3 percent higher.

The FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of leading European shares was up 0.5 percent at 1,020.09 points, paring gains after data showed that the UK was still in recession in the third quarter.

Microsoft's fiscal first-quarter results are due before the opening bell, a day after its much-heralded launch of Windows 7. Wall Street expects revenue to fall to $12.4 billion from $15 billion a year earlier, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Honeywell , Fortune Brands and Whirlpool are among other companies reporting.

Sales of previously owned homes probably rebounded in September after a surprise fall in August, boosted by a government incentive for first-time buyers, low prices and mortgage rates.

A Reuters survey of 65 economists forecast, on average, existing home sales of 5.35 million units in September at a seasonally adjusted annual rate. That would be up from 5.10 million in August. The data is due at 1400 GMT.

U.S. stocks rose on Thursday, with the Dow Jones <.DJI> closing back above 10,000, after quarterly results from insurer Travelers and regional bank PNC Financial gave a boost to financial stocks. The S&P financial index <.GSPF> added 2.9 percent.

After the closing bell, online retailer Amazon.com posted earnings above expectations and its shares shot up almost 15 percent to $107.38 in extended trading.

Capital One Financial rose 8 percent and American Express Co rose more than 2 percent in extended trade after reporting third-quarter results.

(Reporting by Brian Gorman; Editing by Rupert Winchester)

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