Nikkei set to rise after Wall St gains on earnings

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average is likely to rise on Wednesday, after better-than-expected quarterly results from Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and Intel (INTC.O) offset concerns about weak consumer demand.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) said quarterly earnings surged 33 percent on blowout trading results, trouncing forecasts and putting the bank on pace for hefty bonuses.

"The Nikkei is poised to extend gains today. We had U.S. stocks rise the day before, and the yen's advance has been stalled," said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of equity markets at Nikko Cordial Securities.

"Positive earnings by Intel and gains by the stock in extended trading should also favor the market, particularly exporters," Nishi said.

U.S. chipmaker Intel reported results after the bell on Tuesday that surpassed expectations, and its stock surged 7.4 percent in extended trade.

In Tokyo, Panasonic Corp (6752.T) could be in focus after the Nikkei business daily reported it is planning to mass-produce a new type of battery for gasoline-powered cars.

In a sign that the market may open higher, Nikkei futures traded in Chicago rose 1.2 percent from their Osaka close of 9,250.

On Tuesday, the benchmark Nikkei .N225 gained 2.3 percent to 9,261.81 on Tuesday, ending a nine-day slide that took it to an eight-week low.

Market players expect the Nikkei to trade between 9,250 and 9,450 on Wednesday.

The dollar was little changed at 93.48 yen after pulling back from a five-month low of 91.73 yen hit on Monday.

(Reporting by Shinichi Saoshiro; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)