US STOCKS-Wall St set for higher open on earnings, Geithner

                                
 * Investors optimistic of quick action from Geithner
                                
 * U.S. Steel Corp profit surges, stock rises
                                
 * DuPont reports loss, trims 2009 forecast
                                
 * S&P futures up 8.90 points, Dow futures up 85 points,
Nasdaq futures up 7.75 points
                                
 * For up-to-the-minute market news, click [STXNEWS/US]
 (Adds details, recasts)
                                
 By Leah Schnurr
                                
 NEW YORK, Jan 27 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were set to open
higher on Tuesday, buoyed by earnings that were not as dire as
some had feared and hopes for swift action from new Treasury
secretary Timothy Geithner to prevent the year-long recession
from worsening.
                                
 In the morning's round of quarterly results, U.S. Steel
Corp <X.N> posted a surge in quarterly profit, sending its
shares up 7.8 percent at $31.75 before the opening bell. For
details, see [ID:nN27436951].
                                
 That came on the heels of results from American Express Co
<AXP.N>, posted after Monday's closing bell, that surpassed
expectations. The company's stock was up 5.3 percent to
$16.00.
                                
 Geithner won confirmation as Treasury secretary late on
Monday and promised quick action to deal with the recession-hit
U.S. economy. [ID:nN26616671]
                                
 "I get the general sense that people are hopeful about
something more significant than what we've seen from (former
Treasury secretary Henry) Paulson," said Barry Ritholtz, chief
market strategist at Fusion IQ in New York.
                                
 "You definitely got the sense there wasn't a full plan or
strategy and people are hopeful that we'll actually have an
intelligent plan instead of panic (and) careening from one
concept to another."
                                
 S&P 500 futures <SPc1> rose 8.90 points and were above fair
value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account
interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the
contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures <DJc1> climbed
85 points, and Nasdaq 100 <NDc1> futures rose 7.75 points.
                                
 Stocks <.DJI> ended higher on Monday, lifted by optimism
over a $68 billion takeover in the drug industry that offset a
grim warning about the year ahead from Caterpillar <CAT.N> and
worries over the state of the financial sector.
                                
 The broad S&P 500 <.SPX> is down more than 7 percent for
the year so far but it is up about 11 percent from the 11-year
lows hit in late November. The S&P started the year up about 20
percent from those lows.
                                
 Despite some bright spots, analysts have called the
earnings season overall a weak one, as expected, with companies
warning of more pain to come and making deep job cuts in the
wake of the global economic downturn.
                                
 On the downside, DuPont Co <DD.N> reported a loss, hurt by
a decline in demand, and trimmed its full-year 2009 forecast.
Shares of the chemical maker reversed course to edge up 0.1
percent at $23.20 in premarket trade. [ID:nN27409529].
 (Editing by James Dalgleish)