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Futures up: Dow 0.17%, S&P 500 0.13%, Nasdaq 0.16%

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Applied Digital ( APLD ) rises on quarterly revenue beat

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Levi Strauss slips after downbeat FY profit forecast

(Updates before markets open)

By Niket Nishant and Sukriti Gupta

Oct 10 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes were

poised to open higher on Friday, as investors sought to buy the

dip following a brief pullback, while awaiting the consumer

sentiment data for fresh clues on the economy.

Traders remain bullish on equities despite Thursday's

declines, betting that the artificial intelligence-driven

momentum remains intact. Some analysts expect the AI trade,

mostly concentrated in tech so far, to spill over into energy

and construction firms as demand for data center buildout

accelerates.

"Investors see little pullbacks as opportunities to nibble

in and add more capital. There's just a lot of money sloshing

around in the system," said Aleksandr Spencer, chief investment

officer at Bogart Wealth.

The rally is also driven by a growing fear of missing out,

as some analysts say the nearly three-year-old bull market still

has room to run, especially if the Federal Reserve continues to

lower interest rates.

Recent data has reinforced expectations for easing. While

the government shutdown has delayed official releases, proxies

point to a weakening labor market, with layoffs tied to the

impasse likely to deepen the strain.

At 08:30 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were up 81 points, or

0.17%, S&P 500 E-minis were up 9 points, or 0.13%, and

Nasdaq 100 E-minis were up 39.25 points, or 0.16%.

A preliminary reading of the University of Michigan's

consumer sentiment survey, due at 10:00 a.m. ET, will be closely

watched, given the added significance it carries because of the

official data blackout.

Investors are also weighing developments in the Middle East,

where Israeli troops began pulling back from some parts of Gaza

under a ceasefire deal with Hamas. Signs of easing tensions

could boost sentiment by removing a long-standing overhang on

equities.

The earnings season, which kicks off next week, is expected

to be the next litmus test for the rally.

Among stocks, Intel ( INTC ) rose 1.9% in premarket trading,

after brokerage TD Cowen raised its price target on the stock.

Data center operator Applied Digital ( APLD ) surged 29.6%, a

day after posting better-than-expected revenue for the first

quarter.

Oracle jumped 1.8% after Citigroup raised its price

target on the stock.

Levi Strauss shares slipped 7.4% after it forecast

annual profit below analysts' expectations.

Qualcomm ( QCOM ) fell 1.3% after China's market regulator

said the country has launched an antitrust investigation into

the semiconductor manufacturer over its acquisition of Israel's

Autotalks.

(Reporting by Niket Nishant and Sukriti Gupta in Bengaluru;

Editing by Anil D'Silva and Shilpi Majumdar)