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Futures: Dow down 0.12%, S&P up 0.10%, Nasdaq up 0.10%

March 8 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were

subdued on Friday following a sharp overnight rally on Wall

Street, as investors braced for a crucial labor market report

that could determine the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut

path.

The benchmark S&P 500 index closed at a record high on

Thursday after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank was

"not far" from gaining the confidence that inflation is falling

sufficiently to begin cutting interest rates.

Investors awaited the closely watched U.S. jobs report at

8:30 a.m. ET that is likely to show job growth slowed in

February after two straight months of robust gains.

Nonfarm payrolls likely increased by 200,000 jobs last month

after surging 353,000 in January, according to a Reuters survey

of economists.

Also on tap is a report that is expected to show the

unemployment rate unchanged at 3.7% for the fourth consecutive

month and a marginal slowdown in the increase in annual wages.

Signs of persistent strength in the labor market could make

it difficult for the Fed to start cutting interest rates in June

as currently envisaged by financial markets.

At 05:00 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were down 47 points,

or 0.12%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 5 points, or 0.1%, and

Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 18 points, or 0.1%.

AI darling Nvidia ( NVDA ) gained 3.2% in premarket trading,

outperforming megacap growth and technology peers.

Chip stocks such as Micron Technology ( MU ) and Intel ( INTC )

rose more than 1% each.

Broadcom ( AVGO ) slid 1.6% after the tech company's

full-year forecast failed to impress investors.

Shares of Marvell Technology ( MRVL ) shed 5.8% after it

forecast first-quarter results below market expectations on soft

demand in its wireless infrastructure, consumer and enterprise

markets.

Gap climbed 6.4% after the retailer beat Wall Street

expectations for fourth-quarter results, buoyed by strong demand

on improved product offerings at its Old Navy and namesake

brands during the holiday season and lower markdowns.