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Futures up: Dow 0.36%, S&P 500 0.39%, Nasdaq 0.43%

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Charter Communications ( CHTR ) rises after co to buy Cox

Communications

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UnitedHealth ( UNH ) up after dropping 11% on Thursday

(Updates before markets open)

By Shashwat Chauhan and Pranav Kashyap

May 16 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes were set

to open higher on Friday, building on this week's gains fueled

by a U.S.-China tariff truce and tamer inflation data, while a

vote on President Donald Trump's sweeping tax legislation was

also in focus.

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington cautioned

that Friday's planned vote on the tax bill might be delayed due

to opposition to the measure.

All three main indexes were poised for robust weekly gains.

The market found its footing earlier in the week, rallying on

Monday and Tuesday after Washington and Beijing agreed to a

90-day pause in their escalating trade war.

This early-week surge successfully propelled the S&P 500

back into positive territory year-to-date - the first

time it's seen green since late February. It, however, remains

about 4% away from its all-time highs.

"The combination of a deal with the UK and taking a step

back from the untenable China tariffs certainly lays out a road

map that we can get multiple bilateral trade deals accomplished

and that's the largest of the positive catalyst," said Art

Hogan, chief market strategist at B Riley Wealth.

Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had announced

a limited bilateral trade agreement last week.

On the economic docket, University of Michigan's preliminary

consumer sentiment reading for May is due at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Data from earlier in the week showed U.S. retail sales

growth losing steam in April, while consumer prices staged a

moderate rebound.

Focus would also be on comments from Federal Reserve

policymakers, with at least two officials including Richmond Fed

President Thomas Barkin slated to speak throughout the day.

At 08:26 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were up 152 points, or

0.36%, S&P 500 E-minis were up 23.25 points, or 0.39%

and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were up 92 points, or 0.43%.

Most megacap and growth stocks swung higher in premarket

trading, with Alphabet leading gains with a 2.2% rise.

Big Tech was one of the biggest drivers on Wall Street this

week. The information technology sector was heading

towards an 8% gain, a weekly jump echoing the surge seen when

traders first seized on clear signals the White House was ready

to dial back its trade hostilities with Beijing.

Vistra ( VST ) jumped 4.7% after the utility said it would

acquire seven natural gas generation facilities, with a combined

capacity of nearly 2,600 megawatt, from Lotus Infrastructure

Partners for $1.9 billion.

Estee Lauder ( EL ) advanced 3.5% after Michael Burry's

Scion Asset Management bought shares in the cosmetics company.

Shares of UnitedHealth ( UNH ) rose 3% after a near 11% drop

in the last session, when the stock was rocked after a report

the U.S. Department of Justice had begun a criminal

investigation into the insurer.

Applied Materials ( AMAT ) slipped 4% after the chipmaking

equipment maker missed estimates for second-quarter revenue.

Charter Communications ( CHTR ) rose 4.2% after the media

company said it would buy privately held rival Cox

Communications for $21.9 billion.