(RTTNews) - Stocks futures are little changed on Tuesday, as traders digest the latest batch of earnings news while awaiting key economic data on home prices and consumer confidence. The major index futures are on opposite sides of the unchanged mark by slim margins, with the Dow futures up by 9 points. On the economic front, traders will be presented with the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index for August at 9:00 a.m. ET to assess the state of prices in the housing sector. Economists expect prices to be down 11.9 percent compared to the same month a year ago. Traders will also look to the latest reading on the Conference Board's consumer confidence index, which is due to be released at 10:00 a.m. ET. The index is expected to edge up to 53.5 in October from 53.1 in the previous month. In earnings news, Valero Energy (VLO) reported an adjusted third quarter net loss of $0.87 per share compared to a profit of $1.91 per share in the year-ago quarter. Analysts expected the company to report a loss of $0.33 per share. Operating revenues for the period were $19.49 billion, beating the forecast of $18.84 billion. U.S. Steel (X) said that it swung to a third quarter loss of $2.11 per share compared to net income of $7.79 per share in the same quarter last year. Analysts expected the company to post a loss of $2.87 per share for the quarter. Net sales for the quarter fell to $2.82 billion from $7.31 billion in the prior year quarter. Seven analysts had a consensus revenue estimate of $2.72 billion for the quarter.

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