Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- European stock-index futures were little changed after the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index declined for three straight days. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slid the most in three weeks as raw-material producers slumped. Chemical companies may be active in Europe after Akzo Nobel NV reported a surprise increase in third-quarter profit and Bayer AG maintained its full-year sales forecast. BP Plc may advance after Europe’s second-largest oil company reported earnings that beat analysts’ estimates. Futures on the Euro Stoxx 50 added less than 0.1 percent at 7:23 a.m. in London. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index is set to open 11 points higher, according to BGC Partners. Banks and insurers led Europe’s Stoxx 600 lower yesterday after ING Groep NV announced plans to raise more than $11 billion to repay state aide. The gauge last week snapped two weeks of gains on concern a 53 percent rebound since March 9 has outpaced the prospects for growth. The rally has sent valuations on the index to more than 50 times reported earnings. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures expiring in December were little changed today before reports that may show home values in the U.S. continue to stabilize and consumer confidence rose. The S&P 500 erased earlier gains yesterday on speculation lawmakers will phase out a tax credit for homebuyers and Bank of America Corp. may have to sell shares. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index dropped 1.4 percent today as a drop in commodities prices dragged Mitsui & Co. lower and Hong Kong enacted measures to curtail property speculation. Akzo Nobel, Bayer Akzo Nobel may be active after the world’s largest maker of coatings said third-quarter profit rose to 197 million euros ($294 million) as cost cuts outweighed lower demand for household paint. Analysts in a Bloomberg survey had estimated profit of 149.3 million euros. Bayer may also move as Germany’s biggest drugmaker kept its forecast of full-year group sales of between 31 billion euros and 32 billion euros and said it’s sticking to its “ambitious target” of limiting the decline in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to about 5 percent. The company posted a 10 percent drop in third-quarter profit to 249 million euros, as flagging sales at its agricultural chemical and plastics units offset gains in drug revenue. Sales fell 7 percent to 7.39 billion euros. BP may be active. The company posted a 34 percent drop in third-quarter earnings to $5.34 billion after crude prices slumped 42 percent from a year earlier. BP’s profit excluding one-time items and inventory changes beat analyst estimates. Publicis, Renault Publicis Group SA may move. The owner of the Saatchi & Saatchi and Leo Burnett ad agencies reported a 5.3 percent fall in third-quarter sales to 1.05 billion euros. Chief Executive Officer Maurice Levy said he expects the company to gradually recover from the advertising slump that began late last year. He forecast several more negative quarters before a return to growth in the middle of 2010. Renault SA may be active after France’s second-largest carmaker was downgraded to “underweight” from “overweight” at Morgan Stanley. The S&P/Case-Shiller index today may show home prices in 20 cities fell 11.9 percent in August from a year earlier, the smallest drop in 19 months, according to the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Separately, a report from the Conference Board may show sentiment this month climbed, even as Americans continue to fret over employment prospects. To contact the reporter on this story: Sarah Jones in London at sjones35@bloomberg.net.

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