DJIA futures up 3 points (Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - New York, 19 Aug - US futures were little changed at the start of a week that will prominently feature central bank talk.

Wall Street ended higher on Friday as the three main indexes all posted their biggest weekly gains of the year, leaving the Dow and the S&P 500 close to the record highs they set last month.

Investors are now writing off an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve in September as a dead certainty and are growing more confident about further cuts soon thereafter.

Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari told the WSJ today a rate cut next month was a possibility as the labor market started showing signs of weakening too much.

'The balance of risks has shifted, so the debate about potentially cutting rates in September is an appropriate one to have,' he said.

Yesterday Mary Daly, president of the San Francisco Fed, told the Financial Times recent economic data had given her 'more confidence' inflation was under control.

Ahead of the Fed's next policy meeting in September the focus this week will be on minutes from the Fed's July meeting due on Wednesday, followed by the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium starting Thursday, with Fed Chair Jerome Powell due to speak Friday.

On the earnings front, shares in Este'e Lauder fell 4% in premarket trade after the group announced guidance and sales that missed estimates and said long-time CEO Fabrizio Freda was retiring. Palo Alto Networks reports results after markets close.

Futures on the Dow Jones were up 3.00 points, or 0.01%, S&P 500 futures were up 3.00 points, or 0.05%, while futures on the Nasdaq were 6.75 points, or 0.03%, higher.

AAA-Sje

(RADIOCOR) 19-08-24 13:54:32 (0252) 5 NNNN