The rebuilding of New York's World Trade Center was set to begin on Thursday, just one day after officials approved plans to erect the Freedom Tower and other buildings where the Twin Towers stood until September 11.
U.S. stock futures extended gains on Tuesday as quarterly results from companies including chemical manufacturer DuPont Co. fueled optimism about corporate profit growth despite near-record oil prices.
Industrial leaders United Technologies Corp. and Honeywell International Inc. posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Wednesday, but their shares headed in opposite directions, with investors keying off profit forecasts.