By Denise Duclaux

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors are bracing for a solemn start when markets open late Wednesday morning as memories of the deadly attacks one year ago cloak Wall Street, but stocks look set to head up after a string of gains.

"Here we are a year later. You look back at all the hardships and all the people lost, it's difficult" said Peter Cardillo, chief strategist at Global Partners Securities, whose lower Manhattan office was destroyed in the attacks. "It's been a struggle the whole year -- in every sense of the word."

Equity futures pointed to a firmer start at the open, delayed until 11 a.m. for the anniversary, in contrast to the stunning tumble the market took following the attacks that killed about 3,000 people and toppled the World Trade Center. Volume was likely to be thin as the nation ratcheted up its level of alert and financial professionals attended services for those lost last Sept. 11.

Major U.S. stock markets prepared for a delayed opening to mark the first anniversary of the assault that left lower Manhattan's financial district cordoned off for days last year. The New York Stock Exchange ( news - web sites), the Nasdaq Stock Market and the American Stock Exchange will begin trading stocks at 11 a.m. instead of 9:30 a.m. as a stream of ceremonies begin across the nation.

The stock market on Tuesday had closed out its third straight day of gains, surprising some market experts who expected investors to sit on the sidelines ahead of the anniversary amid increasing fears over the odds of another attack on the nation.

"So far this market has surprised me, I think what we see here is some sort of burst of patriotism -- not necessarily pertaining to the nation but in a more global way pertaining to a sense of freedom," Cardillo said.

Shares rose in Europe after closing higher in Asia. The FTSE Eurotop 30 index <.FTEU3> of pan-European blue chips was up 0.76 percent while the narrower DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index <.STOXX50E> added 1.36 percent.

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei average <.N225> rose 0.98 percent, closing up for a third straight session. The benchmark Nikkei is up 3 percent since last Friday and now nearly 4 percent above last Wednesday's 19-year low.

Futures pointed to a rise in U.S. markets at the open later in the morning. Futures for the Standard & Poor's 500 rose 4.90 points to 915.90. Dow Jones Industrial futures gained 39 points to 8,659, while Nasdaq 100 futures rose 11.50 points to 963.

Despite a few days of gains, markets have lost tremendous ground since last Sept. 11. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial average surrendered 10.4 percent since markets reopened after the attacks, the technology loaded Nasdaq composite index sank 22.1 pct and the broad Standard & Poor's 500 fell 16.75 pct.

"The market was driven further into the major downward trend that it had already been on, Sept. 11 just accelerated it," Cardillo said.

War has typically heralded dollar signs for Wall Street one year after the first, violent clash, but the anniversary of Sept. 11 is serving as a harsh reminder that this market -- and this war -- are anything but typical.

The Dow has climbed more than 18 percent on average one year after a strike against U.S. interest, according to research firm MarketHistory.com, which made a check of six specific events ranging from the sinking of the U.S. battleship Maine on Feb. 15, 1898 to the bombing of federal offices in Oklahoma on April 19, 1995.

But market watchers point out that this market is grappling with a war against an elusive enemy -- and a murky economic recovery and corporate profit picture.

"When the United States shows direction the market tends to move up and when the United States appears to be losing direction the market tends to be down," said Milton Ezrati, a senior economist at Lord Abbett & Co., which oversees $45 billion.

Firefighters and police, accompanied by bagpipes and drums, marched in five separate processions from each of the city's boroughs toward Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center's 110-story twin towers used to stand. If ceremonies run past schedule, the NYSE has said it will delay its open beyond 11 a.m.

New York Gov. George Pataki, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani ( news - web sites), Securities and Exchange Commission ( news - web sites) Chairman Harvey Pitt, and members of the New York Fire and Police Departments are scheduled to ring the opening bell following 2 minutes of silence.

Corporate news was likely to take a backseat during the session and pre-market trading was quiet. The blue-chip Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 83.23 points, or 0.98 percent, to 8,602.61 on Tuesday. The broad Standard & Poor's 500 <.SPX> added 6.62 points, or 0.73 percent, to 909.58. The tech-packed Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 15.49 points, or 1.19 percent, to 1,320.09.