U.S. stock index futures signal lower Wall St open

LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly weaker open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 down 0.1 to 0.2 percent.

* ICSC/Goldman Sachs release chain store sales for the week ended March 9 at 1145 GMT. In the previous week, sales rose 0.2 percent.

* Ryanair is to announce a deal to buy 200 aircraft from Boeing on Sunday, the Irish Independent newspaper reported on Tuesday without citing sources.

* Redbook releases its Retail Sales Index of department and chain store sales for March at 1255 GMT. In the prior period, sales were up 1.3 percent.

* Retailer Costco Wholesale Corp posted a 39 percent increase in quarterly profit, beating expectations, on increasing sales, membership fees and a tax benefit related to a special cash dividend.

* Germany's second biggest utility RWE has hired Goldman Sachs to sell its oil and gas exploration unit DEA, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.  * Brent futures slipped below $110 a barrel on Tuesday on worries of a slowdown in demand growth in China and the United States, two of the world's biggest oil consumers, with a rise in the dollar weighing further on the market.

* European shares turned slightly higher in morning trade on Tuesday, led by miner Antofagasta after it more than doubled its dividend payout.

* Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Tuesday, snapping an eight-day winning streak, as investors took profits on recent gainers such as financials and exporters.

* Wall Street rose modestly on Monday, lifting the Dow to another record and giving the S&P 500 its seventh straight advance as early weakness enticed buyers. The gains briefly lifted the benchmark S&P 500 index to its highest intraday level since October 2007.

* The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 50.22 points, or 0.35 percent, at 14,447.29 on Monday, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 5.04 points, or 0.32 percent, to 1,556.22, while the Nasdaq Composite Index added 8.51 points, or 0.26 percent, to close at 3,252.87. (Reporting by Atul Prakash/editing by Chris Pizzey, London MPG Desk, +44 (0)207 542-4441)