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Futures off: Dow 0.19%, S&P 500 0.27%, Nasdaq 0.39%

Nov 22 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures slipped on

Friday as investors remain cautious ahead of a business activity

survey and increasing geopolitical tensions between Ukraine and

Russia, but Wall Street's main indexes were poised for weekly

gains.

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

Thursday at one-week highs, with AI bellwether Nvidia ( NVDA )

managing modest gains after its quarterly forecast, while

investors took comfort from robust economic data. In premarket

trading on Friday, Nvidia ( NVDA ) dropped 0.8%.

Market attention is now focused on a S&P business activity

survey due at 9:45 a.m. ET, with forecasts pointing to services

activity still in expansion territory, while manufacturing is

expected to remain in contraction.

At 05:42 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were down 82 points,

or 0.19%, S&P 500 E-minis slipped 16 points, or 0.27%,

and Nasdaq 100 E-minis fell 81.25 points, or 0.39%.

Wall Street's main indexes are on track to end the week

higher, with sentiment still strong about the positive

implications Donald Trump's tax and tariff policies could have

for corporates after his win in the presidential election.

Futures tracking small caps inched up 0.1% and the

Russell 2000 index was set for weekly advances of 2%.

However, expectations on the Federal Reserve's policy move

in December have recently swayed between a pause and a cut, as

investors weigh the impact Trump's policies can have on price

pressures.

There is a 59.1% probability the central bank will lower

borrowing costs by 25 basis points, as per the CME Group's

FedWatch Tool.

Comments from Federal Reserve Board Governor Michelle Bowman

will also be parsed later in the day.

Markets were also monitoring a missile exchange between

Ukraine and Russia after the latter lowered its threshold for a

nuclear retaliation earlier in the week. Energy stocks

are the most sensitive to geopolitical risks and have gained

over 2% this week.

Among top movers, Gap Inc ( GAP ) jumped 14.7% after the Old

Navy parent raised its annual sales forecast and said the

holiday season was off to a "strong start".

Alphabet dipped 0.4% and Amazon.com ( AMZN )

slipped 0.2%.

On Thursday, the Google parent slid after prosecutors argued

it was monopolizing online search, while a report said Europe

will start an investigation next year into whether Amazon ( AMZN ) favors

its own brand products on its online marketplace.

Crypto stocks were mixed, with bitcoin trading shy of

$100,000. MicroStrategy ( MSTR ) added 2%, while Riot Platforms ( RIOT )

dipped 0.5%.

Speculations were rife about who could be the Treasury

Secretary in the Trump cabinet, with a report saying the

president-elect floated the idea of appointing Kevin Warsh on

the understanding he could later be Federal Reserve Chairman.