(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock

markets, click or type LIVE/ in a news window.)

*

Kellanova ( K ) jumps after Mars to buy co in $36 bln deal

*

U.S. July CPI due at 8:30 a.m. ET

*

Futures up: Dow 0.01%, S&P 500 0.04%, Nasdaq 0.05%

(Updated at 6:45 a.m. ET/1045 GMT)

By Medha Singh and Shashwat Chauhan

Aug 14 (Reuters) - Futures for Wall Street's main stock

indexes were range-bound on Wednesday, as investors refrained

from large bets ahead of a key inflation report which could

offer clues on the pace of interest rate cuts from the Federal

Reserve.

The July reading of the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI),

due at 8:30 a.m. ET, is expected to show headline inflation grew

3% year-on-year, same as June.

Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq clocked

their fourth straight session of gains on Tuesday following

softer-than-expected producer prices data that indicated

inflation continued to moderate, although it is yet to reach the

U.S. central bank's 2% target.

A rebound in megacap and technology stocks have helped

markets recoup most of their losses from a global market rout

earlier this month that was partly caused by data showing a

surge in U.S. unemployment rate in July.

Also, Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic said

on Tuesday he wants to see "a little more data" before he's

ready to support lowering interest rates.

"Notably, inflation has undershot consensus forecasts from

April through June, with both prices and wages coming in cooler

than economists anticipated," said Stefan Koopman, senior macro

strategist at Rabobank.

"We anticipate the Fed will cut rates in September,

primarily due to the rising unemployment rate and as a

precaution against a potential recession."

Traders broadly expect the Fed to begin its cycle of

monetary policy easing at its Sept. 17-18 meeting but are near

evenly split whether it would be a 25 bps rate cut or a more

hefty 50 bps cut, as per the CME FedWatch Tool.

At 6:45 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were up 4 points,

or 0.01%, S&P 500 E-minis were up 2.25 points, or 0.04%

and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were up 9.75 points, or 0.05%.

The Cboe volatility index, Wall Street's fear gauge,

stayed below its long term average of 20 points for the second

day at 18.33 after hitting its highest since 2020 just last

week.

Megacap and growth stocks were mixed in premarket trading,

with Nvidia ( NVDA ) outperforming, up 1.5%, while Google-parent

Alphabet slipped 0.9%.

A media report said the U.S. Department of Justice is

considering options that include breaking up Google.

Kellanova ( K ) surged almost 8% after family-owned candy

giant Mars said it would buy the Cheez-It and Pringles maker in

a nearly $36 billion deal.