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Futures up: Dow 0.23%, S&P 0.26%, Nasdaq 0.23%

May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures edged higher

on Monday, pointing to more gains on Wall Street, as traders

priced in a higher chance of the Federal Reserve cutting

interest rates this year.

The benchmark S&P 500 and the blue-chip Dow

closed at three-week highs on Friday after data showed U.S. job

growth slowed more than expected in April, taking pressure off

the U.S. central bank to keep rates higher for longer.

Traders are currently pricing in rate cuts worth 48 basis

points from the Fed by the end of 2024, with the first cut seen

either in September or November, according to LSEG's rate

probability app. In recent weeks, traders had priced in just one

cut due to signs of sticky inflation.

U.S. stock indexes appear to have stabilized after a rocky

April, as a much better-than-expected first-quarter earnings

season and hopes of U.S. monetary policy easing drew buyers back

into the market.

The Fed last week left interest rates unchanged and signaled

it was leaning toward eventual reductions in borrowing costs,

but repeated that it wants to gain "greater confidence" that

inflation will continue to fall before cutting rates.

Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin and New York Fed

President John Williams are scheduled to speak later in the day,

kicking off speeches from a host of U.S. central bank officials

this week.

Key data for the week includes weekly jobless claims and

U.S. consumer sentiment data for May.

At 5:44 a.m. ET, S&P 500 e-minis were up 13.25

points, or 0.26%. Nasdaq 100 e-minis rose 41.25 points,

or 0.23%, while Dow e-minis climbed 88 points, or

0.23%.

Apple ( AAPL ) dipped 0.8% in premarket trading after the

value of Berkshire's stake in the iPhone maker fell 22% to

$135.4 billion as of March 31 from $174.3 billion at the end of

2023.

Paramount Global ( PARAA ) added 4.7% after the media company

ended its exclusive negotiations with Skydance Media without a

deal, allowing the special committee to entertain other offers

from rival bidders.

Perficient jumped 54% after Swedish private equity

firm EQT AB said it would take the U.S.-based digital

consultancy firm private in an all-cash deal valued at about $3

billion.