US stock futures rise at end of volatile August

NEW YORK — U.S. stock futures are rising at the end of a wild month in the stock market.

Investors are awaiting updates Wednesday on factory orders and hiring at private companies.

About 90 minutes before the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures are up 80 points, or 0.7 percent, at 1,572. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures are up 10, or 0.8 percent, at 1,215. Nasdaq 100 futures are up 18, or 0.8 percent, at 2,245.

August has been full of big swings. Stocks plunged on Aug. 8 after the U.S. credit rating was downgraded. Major indexes then rebounded.

Still, the Dow and S&P are on track to have their worst months since May 2010. The Dow is down 4.8 percent in August, while the S&P 500 is down 6.1 percent.