U.S. stock futures rose as most European shares gained ground, suggesting a higher market open on Wall Street.

Dow Jones futures gained 0.6 per cent, or 66 points, to 10,791, while S&P 500 futures climbed 0.7 per cent, or 8.2 points, to 1,131.70 and Nasdaq futures rose 1 per cent to 2,104.75.

Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.8 per cent, while Germany's DAX gained 0.9 per cent. France's CAC 40 was underwater, down 0.4 per cent, amid concerns over French banks and their exposure to the spreading European sovereign debt crisis. The European banking index was down 0.7 per cent, giving up earlier gains of nearly 4 per cent.

The MSCI world equity index was up 0.5 per cent. Asian stocks dipped, with Japan's Nikkei down 0.6 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng down 1 per cent.

Gold steadied near $1,777 (U.S.) an ounce after retreating from a record high of $1,813.79. CME Group's decision to hike margins by 22 per cent for trading COMEX gold futures prompted some investors to cash in gains after the early rally.

The U.S. dollar briefly jumped above 77.00 yen from near record lows, triggering talk about possible intervention. But dealers reported no action from Japanese monetary authorities and it quickly fell back.

The Canadian dollar traded around $1.0085 (U.S.).

Crude oil rose 1.2 per cent to $83.82 a barrel.