US STOCKS-Wall St set to open higher after mixed policy signals from Fed

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* Microsoft gains on $40 bln share buyback plan
* Oil stocks track recovery in crude prices
* U.S.-China trade talks resume on Thursday
* Weekly jobless claims rise less-than-expected
* Futures up: Dow 0.19%, S&P 0.17%, Nasdaq 0.18%

(Adds comment, details; updates prices)
By Ambar Warrick
Sept 19 (Reuters) - U.S. stock indexes were set to open
higher on Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve cut rates as
expected but played down hopes of further monetary easing.
Microsoft Corp MSFT.O rose 1.4% in premarket trading and
was the biggest gainer among Dow-listed stocks after it
announced a $40 billion share buyback plan.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell posited a "favorable" outlook for
the U.S. economy on Wednesday and said future rate cuts would be
"largely data-dependent". New projections showed policymakers at the median expected
interest rates to stay within the new range through 2020.
However, traders still see a 42.8% chance of another quarter
percentage point cut in October, according to CME Group's
FedWatch tool. "I think the Fed essentially left the door open to do
whatever is necessary," said Randy Frederick, vice president of
trading and derivatives for Charles Schwab in Austin.
"It all depends on what happens with economic data and the
(U.S.-China) trade discussions over the next six weeks or so,"
he said.
U.S. and Chinese deputy trade officials are set to resume
face-to-face talks on Thursday for the first time in nearly two
months, aiming to lay the groundwork for high-level negotiations
planned in early October. Fresh economic data showed U.S. current account deficit
narrowed sharply in the second quarter, while
fewer-than-expected Americans filled out applications for
unemployment benefits last week. At 9:05 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis 1YMcv1 were up 52 points, or
0.19%. S&P 500 e-minis EScv1 were up 5 points, or 0.17% and
Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQcv1 were up 14.25 points, or 0.18%.
Oil and gas stocks .SPNY rose in premarket trading,
tracking a recovery in oil prices as the market assesses the
fallout from last weekend's drone attacks on Saudi oil
infrastructure.
Halliburton Co HAL.N and Occidental Petroleum Corp OXY.N
rose more than 1.3% each. O/R
Interest rate-sensitive bank stocks were slightly lower in
premarket trade, after closing up 0.7% in the previous session.
Bank of America BAC.N and JP Morgan JPM.N fell about
0.3%each.
Content delivery network provider Akamai Technologies Inc
AKAM.O was down 2.6% after KeyBanc analysts downgraded the
stock to "sector weight" from "over weight".