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Futures up: Dow 0.33%, S&P 500 0.53%, Nasdaq 0.74%

Oct 15 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures rose on

Wednesday as chipmakers rallied after ASML's results, while

investors awaited earnings from Bank of America ( BAC ) and Morgan

Stanley ( MS ) following strong reports from lenders that helped lift

markets in the prior session.

Shares of Bank of America ( BAC ) and Morgan Stanley ( MS )

rose 0.7% and 1.5% respectively premarket ahead of their

third-quarter results that would round up results from major

lenders.

A day earlier, a slew of lenders including Goldman Sachs ( GS )

and JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ) reported solid performance in

investment banking and predicted that business would continue to

boom.

Shares of U.S. chipmakers rose premarket after ASML

reported third-quarter orders and operating

income above market expectations. ASML's U.S. shares were up

3.6%.

Micron Technology ( MU ) rose 2.9%, Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD )

gained 3.2%, while Intel ( INTC ) and Nvidia ( NVDA )

added 2.1% and 2.4% respectively.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday left the door

open to rate cuts by saying the U.S. labor market remained mired

in low-hiring, low-firing doldrums.

He said the absence of official economic data due to the

government shutdown has not prevented policymakers from being

able to assess the economic outlook, at least for now.

"Powell highlighted the rising downside risks to the U.S.

labor market, which essentially prompted the September rate cut

... investors remain confident that the October 29 rate cut is a

rather safe bet at this stage," Achilleas Georgolopoulos, senior

market analyst at XM, said in a note.

Markets are currently priced for a quarter-point cut at the

October 28-29 Fed gathering and another at the next meeting in

December, followed by three more cuts next year, according to

LSEG data.

At 5:25 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were up 155 points, or

0.33%, S&P 500 E-minis were up 35.75 points, or 0.53%,

and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were up 184.25 points, or 0.74%.

A slate of Fed speakers including governors Stephen Miran

and Christopher Waller, Atlanta President Raphael Bostic and

Kansas City boss Jeffrey Schmid are set to speak throughout the

day.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Washington

was considering cutting some trade ties with China, including in

relation to cooking oil. That came after the two countries began

imposing tit-for-tat port fees, adding to concerns about the

China-U.S. trade war.

The International Monetary Fund marginally lifted its 2025

global growth forecast on Tuesday but warned that a renewed

U.S.-China trade war could slow output significantly.

U.S.-listed shares of gold miners gained after bullion

prices surged past $4,200 an ounce for the first time.

Newmont ( NEM ), AngloGold Ashanti ( AU ) and Harmony Gold

gained 1.9%, 1.3%, and 2.4% respectively.