* Stock index futures pointed to Wall Street rising on Wednesday, the last day of the third quarter, with investors awaiting GDP and employment data. * At 0846 GMT, futures for the Dow Jones DJc1, S&P 500 SPc1 and Nasdaq NDc1 were up between 0.1 and 0.5 percent. * The FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares was up 0.5 percent at 1,007.17 points, near its highest in almost a year. Miners rose as metal prices gained. * The International Monetary Fund lowered its estimate for global writedowns for banks and other financial institutions to $3.4 trillion but warned that loan losses were set to rise as unemployment grew. [ID:nSGN002145] * The ADP National Employment Report, due at 1215 GMT, is expected to show that private employers cut far fewer jobs in September than in August. Analysts expect a loss of 210,000 jobs, down from the 298,000 shed in August, according to Reuters polling. * Also due out on Wednesday, at 1230 GMT, is the final estimate for second-quarter GDP, which is likely to show that the U.S. economy contracted at an annualised rate of 1.2 percent over the period. * Pay czar Ken Feinberg speaks in Chicago at 1700 GMT. Wall Street will be looking for more detail on how the government plans to limit excesses in bankers' pay, a hot topic at last week's G20 summit. Last week, Feinberg said he was using formulas and data analysis to determine executive compensation rather than relying on pay caps. * A congressional hearing at 1800 GMT will look at the effectiveness and practices of credit rating agencies. * The Securities and Exchange Commission finishes a two-day public meting on short selling, borrowing of shares and whether more disclosure is needed. * There are no major U.S. companies due to report. * U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday as a surprise drop in a gauge of consumer confidence overshadowed signs of stabilisation in housing and solid earnings from Walgreen Co (WAG.N). [ID:nN29165929] * After the close, sportswear giant Nike Inc (NKE.N) beat quarterly profit expectations as deep cost cuts and lower taxes more than offset crumbling revenue in key markets like the United States and China. The shares (NKE.F) were up 6.5 percent in Frankfurt. * The S&P 500 .SPX up 15.4 percent so far this quarter, is making a run for its best quarterly performance since the fourth quarter of 1998. The benchmark index has rallied nearly 60 percent from the 12-year low of early March as investors bet on the recovery and prospects for a rebound in corporate profits. (Reporting by Brian Gorman; Editing by Hans Peters)

Source