US STOCKS-Futures inch higher as investors eye trade deals, payrolls data

July 2 (Reuters) - Wall Street stock index futures edged higher on Wednesday, as investors monitored U.S. trade negotiations ahead of President Donald Trump's July 9 deadline and looked ahead to payrolls data for clues on the monetary policy path.

The Nasdaq .IXIC and the S&P 500 .SPX closed lower in the previous session, pausing after a record run that was driven by optimism over the U.S. striking trade deals with its key partners and by expectations of deeper interest-rate cuts.

Trump said on Tuesday he was not thinking of extending the July 9 deadline for imposing tariffs and cast doubts that an agreement could be reached with Japan, although he expects a deal with India. The European Union's trade chief is expected to hold talks this week with peers in Washington.

Tech stocks came under selling pressure a day earlier, as Treasury yields climbed after data showed stronger-than-expected job openings in May, signaling a resilient labor market and confirming the Federal Reserve's stance of being patient on cutting interest rates.

Focus is now on the monthly non-farm payrolls report, due on Thursday, as markets are closed on Friday for Independence Day. The data is expected to show U.S. job growth cooled in June and the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3%, per a Reuters poll of economists.

ADP's private payrolls data for June is due at 08:15 a.m. ET.

Meanwhile, U.S. Senate Republicans passed Trump's massive tax-and-spending bill on Tuesday by the narrowest of margins, advancing a package that would slash taxes, reduce social safety net programs and boost military and immigration enforcement spending while adding $3.3 trillion to the national debt.

The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for possible final approval, though a handful of Republicans have already voiced opposition to some of the Senate provisions.

By 5:53 a.m. ET (0953 GMT), S&P 500 e-minis EScv1 were up 8.5 points, or 0.14%. Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQcv1 climbed 22.5 points, or 0.1%, and Dow e-minis YMcv1 added 72 points, or 0.16%.

The blue-chip Dow .DJI closed 1.3% below its record high touched in December.

Among single stocks, Centene CNC.N tumbled 26.6% premarket after the health insurer said it had withdrawn its 2025 earnings forecast after data showed a significant drop in expected revenue from its marketplace health insurance plans.

Shares of peers including Elevance Health ELV.N and UnitedHealth UNH.N dipped 3.8% and 1.2%, respectively.

U.S. banking giants including JPMorgan Chase JPM.N, Bank of America BAC.N and Wells Fargo WFC.N edged up after they announced plans to raise their third-quarter dividends after clearing the Fed's annual health check last week.

Verint Systems VRNT.O soared 12.7% after Bloomberg News reported buyout firm Thoma Bravo was in talks to buy the call-center software maker.