European stock index futures point to higher open

European stock index futures pointed to gains on Tuesday, tracking a U.S. and Asian rally on signs that the credit crisis was easing and after comments from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke endorsing a second economic stimulus package.

At 0605 GMT, futures for the DJ Euro Stoxx, for Germany's DAX and for France's CAC were up between 1.4 percent and 1.7 percent.

U.S. and Asian stocks gained ground overnight, helped in part by comments from Bernanke, who backed government spending as a fresh measure to boost the U.S. economy following the turmoil since the collapse of Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers.