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* Futures: Dow up 0.1%, S&P 500 up 0.05%, Nasdaq down

0.02%

May 21 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were subdued

on Thursday after Nvidia's ( NVDA ) results failed to impress, while

investors awaited retail earnings and key data to gauge the

extent of the economic damage from the Middle East conflict.

Shares of Nvidia ( NVDA ), the world's most valuable

company, edged up 0.3% in premarket trading after the AI

heavyweight forecast second-quarter revenue above Wall Street

estimates and announced an $80 billion share repurchase program.

The stock has jumped almost 20% so far this year but the

pace of growth has slowed, as investors believe Nvidia ( NVDA ) will face

tougher competition, not only from Big Tech but also chip rivals

including Intel ( INTC ) and Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ).

"The market's attention is now focused on how long Nvidia ( NVDA )

can sustain this momentum," said Dan Coatsworth, head of markets

at AJ Bell. "Growing competition is a key factor weighing on

investors' minds, with Nvidia ( NVDA ) no longer in a one-horse race."

Geopolitical factors also remained in focus as Pakistan

stepped up diplomatic efforts to accelerate the U.S.-Iran peace

talks, while Tehran said it was reviewing Washington's latest

response. U.S. President Donald Trump said he could wait a few

days for "the right answers" from Iran, but signaled he was

prepared to resume attacks if needed.

Brent crude futures dipped 0.7% to $104.21 a barrel

on the prospect of talks.

The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury note

climbed to 4.582%, resuming its recent rise after snapping a

three-day streak of gains on Wednesday. A lack of meaningful

progress toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz has added to

inflation concerns, pushing yields higher.

Markets are pricing in roughly a 40% chance the U.S. Federal

Reserve will raise interest rates by at least 25 basis points by

the end of the year, according to CME's FedWatch tool.

At 06:00 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis rose 80 points, or

0.16%, S&P 500 E-minis gained 3.75 points, or 0.05%, and

Nasdaq 100 E-minis fell 6 points, or 0.02%.

Investors were also monitoring SpaceX after the company

unveiled its IPO filing on Wednesday, giving the market a first

look at how much billionaire Elon Musk is spending on AI as he

bets on transforming the rocket maker into a broader AI-led

business.

On the economic front, weekly jobless claims and business

activity surveys are due later in the day and could offer

investors fresh clues on the health of the economy, with a

stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings season in its

final stretch.

Walmart's ( WMT ) results, due before the opening bell, will

be closely watched as a barometer of consumer spending and the

impact of inflation on household budgets.

Among other premarket movers, Intuit shares fell

12.6% after the software maker lowered the annual revenue

forecast for its tax-filing software, TurboTax, and said it

would cut 17% of its full-time workforce.