*

Futures up: Dow 0.24%, S&P 500 0.27%, Nasdaq 0.44%

Oct 16 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures rose on

Thursday, boosted by strong quarterly update from TSMC that

reinforced investor optimism around AI, extending a rally in

chip stocks in the previous sessions.

TSMC, the world's biggest producer of advanced

chips, raised its full-year revenue forecast on a bullish

outlook for spending on artificial intelligence. U.S.-listed

shares of the company, which also posted a better-than-expected

record quarterly profit, rose 2.2% premarket.

Shares of some major U.S. chipmakers also advanced, building

on gains from Wednesday when ASML's solid quarterly

results and a $40 billion data center deal by BlackRock and a

Nvidia ( NVDA )-backed group fueled optimism around AI.

Nvidia ( NVDA ) rose 1.1%, Micron Technology ( MU ) added

2.9% and Broadcom ( AVGO ) gained 1.8%.

The AI-driven momentum and optimism around U.S. rate cuts

have helped markets in recent months. AI-related tech stocks

were among the biggest boosts to markets this week.

Robust earnings from major U.S. banks also grabbed attention

this week, offering fresh signs of economic resilience at a time

when official macroeconomic reports remain delayed due to the

government shutdown.

At 05:27 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were up 112 points, or

0.24%, S&P 500 E-minis were up 18 points, or 0.27%, and

Nasdaq 100 E-minis were up 110.25 points, or 0.44%.

Meanwhile, investors remained focused on the recent

escalation of China-U.S. trade tensions.

Top U.S. officials on Wednesday blasted China's major

expansion of rare earth export controls as a threat to global

supply chains, but said Beijing could still change course,

stressing that Washington did not want to escalate the conflict.

President Donald Trump's threat to cancel the U.S.-China

meet and impose an additional 100% tariffs on Chinese goods

capped investors' risk appetite last week.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that Trump

is ready to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea

later this month.

A slate of Fed officials including governors Stephen Miran

and Christopher Waller, Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle

Bowman and Richmond President Thomas Barkin are set to speak

later in the day.

Among other moves, Salesforce ( CRM ) rose 4.9% after the

company said it expects revenue of more than $60 billion in

2030, above Wall Street estimates.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise ( HPE ) slumped 8.9% after it

forecast annual profit and revenue below Wall Street

expectations.

United Airlines declined 1.7% after reporting mixed

quarterly results.