(Updated at 7:08 a.m. ET / 1108 GMT)

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US GDP, jobless claims numbers due at 8:30 am ET

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Dollar General ( DG ) beats Q1 sales estimates, shares rise

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Tesla up after report on push to roll out advanced FSD in

China

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Futures down: Dow 0.85%, S&P 0.39%, Nasdaq 0.30%

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

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

By Johann M Cherian and Lisa Pauline Mattackal

May 30 (Reuters) -

Wall Street futures softened on Thursday, as uncertainty

around how long the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates

elevated weighed on investor sentiment ahead of crucial data

that could help decode the state of the U.S. economy.

Megacaps such as Alphabet, Microsoft ( MSFT ) and

Nvidia ( NVDA ) slipped between 0.4% and 0.8% in trading before

the bell, extending losses from Wednesday's session as the yield

on Treasury notes hovered above 4.5% for the second day across

the board - the highest since the first week of May.

Uncertainty over monetary policy, combined with heavy

new Treasury issuance, has pushed bond yields higher and

pressured stocks. Rising bond yields typically reflect

expectations for higher interest rates, which in turn means

costlier financing and smaller profit margins for companies.

Investors await the second estimate for first-quarter

gross domestic product, expected at 8:30 a.m. ET. According to a

Reuters poll, the world's largest economy expanded by 1.3%,

slightly less than the previously thought 1.6%.

Also on tap is the jobless claims data, expected to show

that the number of Americans filing for State unemployment

benefits stood at 218,000, from 215,000 recorded the previous

week.

The benchmark S&P 500 index is on track for its

biggest weekly drop in six, while the blue-chip Dow

closed at a four-week low on Wednesday.

Markets now expect the Fed's first 25-basis-point rate

cut only in November or December, according to the CME Group's

FedWatch Tool.

"The Fed cannot yet be satisfied with this level of

inflation, given the robust economy, there is also no rush to

cut interest rates," Berenberg analysts said in a note.

"We are therefore sticking to our assessment that the

Fed will not start the rate-cutting cycle until December."

April's personal consumption expenditure report - the Fed's

preferred inflation gauge, due on Friday - could also sway bets

on the timing of the central bank's first cut.

Hawkish comments from policymakers have also dampened risk

sentiment, and traders will assess remarks from New York Fed

President John Williams and Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan

later in the day.

At 7:08 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were down 329

points, or 0.85%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 20.5 points,

or 0.39%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 56 points, or

0.30%.

Dow component Salesforce ( CRM ) forecast second-quarter

profit and revenue below Street estimates due to weak client

spending on its cloud and enterprise business products, sending

its shares down 15.5%.

Meanwhile, HP gained 4.9% after beating Wall

Street estimates for second-quarter revenue on Wednesday.

Tesla's shares gained 0.9% after Reuters

reported the company was preparing to register its 'Full

Self-Driving' software in China.

American Eagle Outfitters ( AEO ) dropped 7.4% after the

retailer posted downbeat quarterly revenue as sticky inflation

hurt demand for its apparel and accessories, often sold at full

price.

Dollar General ( DG ) added 6.3% after the discount retailer

posted upbeat first-quarter sales, but department-store chain

Kohl's slumped 22% after cutting its annual sales and

profit forecasts.

Moderna ( MRNA ) added 2.7% after a report said the U.S.

government is nearing an agreement to fund a late-stage trial of

the drugmaker's pandemic bird flu vaccine.

After the U.S. switched to faster trade settlements for

securities, market participants reported some processing bumps,

although the move has been smooth overall.