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 JPMorgan, the nation's third-biggest bank, surpassed first-quarter expectations despite $2.6 billion worth of write-downs linked to the credit crisis. The bank also said it is well positioned with liquidity and capital for the year.
Intel Corp. late Tuesday reported a first-quarter profit that matched analysts' expectations, along with sales that topped projections. Intel also issued a forecast that kept profit-margin predictions for 2008 intact, and expects to protect its earnings despite falling memory-chip prices and fears about a slowdown in tech spending.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Co. reported first-quarter profit rose 19 percent on a 21 percent increase in sales. The results easily surpassed Wall Street expectations.
The reports helped lift major indexes. Dow Jones industrial average futures added 46, or 0.43 percent, to 12,400. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 5.50, or 0.41 percent, to 1,341.40. Nasdaq 100 index futures were up 23.00, or 1.28 percent, to 1,819.75.
In addition to dozens of earnings reports due during the session, Wall Street will also get economic reports on inflation, housing and weekly oil inventories.
Government data is expected to show that consumer prices resumed an upward climb in March due mainly to higher energy and food costs. The Labor Department's Consumer Price Index, the federal government's primary inflation yardstick, is forecast to show a 0.3 percent gain from February, according to the consensus of Wall Street economists surveyed by Thomson/IFR.
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 Data on new home construction and building permit applications for March is forecast to show continued declines. The Commerce Department report is expected to show construction of new homes and apartments fell to an annual rate of 1.018 million units in March, a 4.4 percent drop from a rate of 1.065 million units a month earlier.
Oil prices that crossed $114 for the first time on Tuesday extended their advance ahead of a report that's forecast to indicate a modest rise in crude stockpiles. Light, sweet crude added 63 cents to $114.42 a barrel in premarket electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Gold prices rose, and the dollar was mixed against other major currencies.
Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 1.20 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.56 percent, Germany's DAX index was up 0.34 percent, and France's CAC-40 added 0.25 percent.
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On the Net:
New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com/
Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com/
[Associated Press; By JOE BEL BRUNO]
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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