* Indexes up: Dow 0.70%, S&P 500 0.84%, Nasdaq 0.87%

* Intel ( INTC ) up after Trump says co to partner with Apple ( AAPL ) on chip

design

* Accenture ( ACN ) tumbles on trimming top-end of its FY revenue

forecast

* Data showed weekly jobless claims fell amid low layoffs

(Updates after market open)

By Twesha Dikshit and Joel Jose

June 18 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rebounded on Thursday with

semiconductor shares leading gains as optimism about a Middle

East peace deal offset worries about a hawkish Federal Reserve

under new Chair Kevin Warsh.

Intel's ( INTC ) shares jumped almost 10% after U.S.

President Donald Trump said Apple ( AAPL ) had agreed to work

with the company to design and manufacture its chips in the

United States.

Other chip stocks also moved higher. Nvidia ( NVDA ) rose

1.1%, while Micron and Marvell Technology ( MRVL ) added

over 5% each.

The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index hit a record

high and was last up 4.6%, while the S&P 500 tech index

rose 1.6%.

All three major indexes sank in the previous session as

investors priced in the likelihood of more Federal Reserve rate

hikes, after Warsh underscored the need to curb inflation and

other policymakers signaled higher borrowing costs ahead.

Meanwhile, the United States and Iran released the text of a

signed interim agreement that extends the April ceasefire by

another 60 days to allow the two sides to reach a final deal.

It's the U.S.-Iran deal signing that "seems to be usurping

any negative sentiment brought about by a more hawkish Fed

yesterday," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B Riley

Wealth.

"Energy prices continue to trade lower. The potential for an

end to the war in Iran would certainly be a significant positive

and might even help bring down inflation over the long term."

Markets are currently pricing in a 50% chance of a

25-basis-point rate hike in September, according to CME Group's

FedWatch tool, higher than 27% priced in on Wednesday.

Eight out of 11 major S&P 500 sectors moved higher with

industrials gaining 1.6%.

At 09:36 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average

rose 357.37 points, or 0.70%, to 51,853.59, the S&P 500

gained 62.05 points, or 0.84%, to 7,482.15 and the Nasdaq

Composite gained 225.57 points, or 0.87%, to 26,247.23.

The small-cap Russell 2000 index rose 1.4%.

Oil prices slid to a more than three-month low, keeping alive

hopes that inflation could be tamed without hiking interest

rates.

Markets have regained ground from a slump in early June,

with a resilient economy, a broadening rally beyond tech shares

and optimism surrounding a U.S.-Iran deal boosting sentiment.

All three indexes were on track to end higher for a second

consecutive week before Friday's Juneteenth holiday.

On the data front, Labor Department data showed the number

of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last

week as layoffs remained low.

Thursday also marks the once-in-a-quarter simultaneous

expiry of derivatives contracts tied to stocks, index options

and futures, also known as "triple witching", which can boost

trading volume and aggravate volatility.

Among other movers, Kroger ( KR ) dropped 6.4% after the

grocer reported a lower-than-expected profit for the first

quarter and kept its annual forecasts unchanged.

Shares of Accenture ( ACN ) tumbled almost 16% afterthe

company trimmed the top end of its annual revenue forecast.

Peers Cognizant Technology Solutions ( CTSH ) and IBM ( IBM )

dipped 8.2% and 6.5%, respectively.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.48-to-1 ratio

on the NYSE and by a 2.48-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

The S&P 500 posted 21 new 52-week highs and 19 new lows

while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 53 new highs and 52 new

lows.

(Reporting by Twesha Dikshit and Joel Jose; Editing by Pooja

Desai and Devika Syamnath)