* Futures up: Dow 0.4%, S&P 500 0.4%, Nasdaq 0.8%
* TJX up after annual forecast raise
* Lowe's fall after reaffirming annual forecast
* Nvidia ( NVDA ) to report earnings after markets close
(Updates before markets open)
By Ragini Mathur and Utkarsh Hathi
May 20 (Reuters) - Wall Street was poised to open higher
on Wednesday, led by a rebound in chip stocks ahead of Nvidia's ( NVDA )
quarterly earnings, which investors view as a crucial test of AI
demand amid concerns about elevated Treasury yields.
Nvidia ( NVDA ), the world's most valuable company and the
centerpiece of the global AI boom, rose 1.7% in premarket
trading ahead of its quarterly results, which are expected after
the closing bell.
Investors will crunch the numbers for signs that appetite
for AI infrastructure remains strong enough to support lofty
valuations across the technology and AI space.
"There's a lot riding as ever on Nvidia ( NVDA ). It always gets the
top billing whenever it rolls around and certainly is the last
big event of the season," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market
analyst, IG Group.
"It does feel like this is still a market that very much
wants to rally ... we'll just have to see whether Nvidia ( NVDA ) can
keep stoking the fuel for the fire and keep the party going."
The broader chip sector also advanced on Wednesday, helping
drive gains across equity futures. Marvell Technology ( MRVL )
rose 4.7%, Intel ( INTC ) gained 4.8% and Micron Technology ( MU )
added 3.4%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF
climbed 2.2%.
At 8:27 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were up 184 points, or
0.37%, and S&P 500 E-minis were up 30.5 points, or
0.41%. Nasdaq 100 E-minis were up 215.5 points, or
0.75%.
U.S. stocks have come under pressure in recent days as a
selloff in global bond markets drove yields higher.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield, which touched a
16-month high of 4.687% in the previous session, eased to 4.635%
on Wednesday.
Traders have ramped up bets the U.S. Federal Reserve could
raise interest rates at the turn of the year as the conflict in
the Middle East pushes oil prices higher, reviving inflation
worries.
Brent crude futures slipped about 2% to $109.14 a
barrel after U.S. President Donald Trump again said the war with
Iran would end "very quickly." Still, investors remained
cautious over the outcome of peace talks as disruptions to
Middle Eastern supply continued.
Investors are also awaiting the minutes from the Fed's
latest meeting -scheduled to be released later in the day - for
clues on policymakers' thinking, as expectations for a rate hike
continue to grow.
Markets are now pricing in a more than 40% chance of a
25-basis-point rate hike in December, according to CME's
FedWatch tool. Expectations for a 50-basis-point increase that
month have risen to 13.7%, from 4.2% a week earlier.
Among other movers, TJX gained 3.5% after the
off-price retailer raised its annual comparable sales and profit
forecasts, banking on resilient demand at its stores.
Retailer Target ( TGT ) was up 1.5% after doubling its
annual sales growth forecast, while home improvement firm Lowe's
dipped 2% as the company reaffirmed its full-year
forecast.