Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wednesday as investors remained optimistic the worst of the economic slowdown was abating.

Oil prices could boost energy shares as U.S. crude oil futures rose above $60 a barrel to touch a new six-month high.

On the economic front, minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy-setting meeting are expected in the afternoon.

Hewlett-Packard Co, the world's top personal computer maker, gave a disappointing revenue forecast for the fiscal year and said it will cut 2 percent of its workforce as it reported in-line quarterly profit after the bell on Tuesday. Shares of HP were lower in premarket trading.

S&P 500 futures rose 3 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures climbed 9 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures added 2 points.

Bank of America Corp raised $13.47 billion through a sale of its shares, marking a step toward meeting government requirements for capital-raising following the results of a stress test on the bank. Its shares were higher before the opening bell.

The Dow and S&P 500 slipped Tuesday as financial shares sank on disappointing housing data, but the Nasdaq rose as investors snapped up technology issues ahead of results from HP.

The S&P 500 has climbed from a 12-year closing low in early March, rising 37.4 percent through May 8. But the benchmark index gave up some ground last week and is now up 29.8 percent since March 9.

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

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