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* Futures off: Dow 0.29%, S&P 500 0.34%, Nasdaq 0.48%

March 19 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures slipped on

Thursday as crude prices soared on intensifying hostilities in

the Middle East, fanning inflation worries that have prompted

the Federal Reserve to take a more cautious stance on interest

rate cuts this year.

A strong forecast from Micron Technology ( MU ) also failed to

uplift sentiment, with its shares down 4.5% in premarket

trading, as investors mulled the chip company's higher spending

plans in the light of elevated borrowing costs.

Other memory chip stocks that had a strong run this year were

also knocked down. SanDisk ( SNDK ) fell 4.5%, Western Digital ( WDC )

slipped 2.3%, while AI leader Nvidia ( NVDA ) dipped

0.4%.

Brent crude prices hit $115 a barrel after Iran attacked

energy facilities across the Middle East in retaliation to

Israel's strike on its South Pars gas field. The U.S. benchmark,

however, was trading at its widest discount to Brent in 11 years

due to releases from U.S. strategic reserves and higher freight

costs.

The Fed left rates unchanged on Wednesday and Chair Jerome

Powell flagged higher inflation ahead. He also said it was too

soon to gauge the repercussions of the war on the economy and

stuck to the prior forecast of one 25-basis-point rate cut this

year.

Morgan Stanley joined Goldman Sachs and Barclays in pushing back

its forecast for an interest rate cut to September from June.

Traders had priced out any expectations for a rate cut this year

even before the Fed's verdict and LSEG-compiled data points to a

dovish move only in mid-2027.

"The big takeaway from the Fed decision is that the Fed will

not be riding to the economy's rescue, even if gas and diesel

prices keep rising," said Bill Adams, chief economist for

Comerica Bank.

"Monetary policy can slow growth and inflation, or it can

speed up growth and inflation. But it can't offset an energy

supply shock, which weakens growth at the same time that it

raises inflation."

At 05:27 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were down 135 points,

or 0.29%, S&P 500 E-minis were down 22.25 points,

or 0.34%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis

were down 118.25 points, or 0.48%.

Stocks and bonds sold off following the Fed verdict, sending

the Dow and Nasdaq below their 200-day moving

averages (DMA), while the benchmark S&P 500 hit a

four-month low, putting it just a whisker away from breaching

its own long-term moving average. The 200 (DMA) is a technical

indicator reflecting long-term momentum.

Investors will be keen on any potential commentary from

policymakers later in the day, along with the weekly report on

jobless claims.

Also in focus will be a U.S.-Japan summit that President Donald

Trump may use to press for help on the war in Iran after his

earlier call on allies to safeguard passage through the

strategic Strait of Hormuz went unanswered.

Energy price-sensitive travel stocks such as Delta Air

and United were marginally lower, while cruise

stocks such as Norwegian and Carnival were

muted.

Expectations for higher interest rates and a stronger dollar

weighed on prices of precious metals, sending miners such as

Gold Fields and Endeavour Silver down around 9%

each.

(Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika

Syamnath)