Wall St set to open higher as Fed rate-cut expectations firm

• Futures up: Dow 0.16%, S&P 500 0.19%, Nasdaq 0.31%
• Robinhood, AppLovin jump on S&P 500 inclusion plans
• EchoStar jumps on spectrum licenses deal with SpaceX; other telecom stocks fall
• Barclays, StanChart revise Fed rate cut projections

Sept 8 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes were set for a higher open on Monday, rebounding from the previous session's decline, amid hopes that the Federal Reserve could lower borrowing costs soon in response to the latest jobs data.

A troubling nonfarm payrolls report on Friday confirmed a weakening U.S. job market, stoking fears of a potential slowdown in the world's biggest economy that pushed Wall Street's main indexes lower on Friday.

But following the report, traders have solidified their expectations for a 25-basis-point cut. The bets now stand at 88%, according to CME Group's FedWatch tool.

A jumbo 50-bps cut is also on the cards now, compared to no such expectation before the jobs data was released.

Numerous brokerages have revised calls for Fed interest-rate cuts. Barclays now anticipates three cuts of 25 bps each in 2025 compared with two earlier, while Standard Chartered expects a 50-bps trim in September - up from its earlier projection of a 25-bps reduction.

"Markets are trying to understand if the (September) rate cut is going to be enough to stave off further weakening of the economy and that's why you see a market that is just neutral," said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth.

At 08:47 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis YMcv1 were up 73 points, or 0.16%, Nasdaq 100 E-minis NQcv1 were up 73.75 points, or 0.31% and S&P 500 E-minis EScv1 were up 12.5 points, or 0.19%.

Inflation data will be on investors' radar this week to gauge the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies on the country's economy, and whether it could strengthen the case for a bigger rate cut.

Additional economic insights will come from the preliminary consumer sentiment survey from the University of Michigan, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics' revised payrolls benchmark, both scheduled for release this week.

With the Fed now entering a "blackout" period that bars public statements in the run-up to its September 16-17 meeting, markets will have to interpret economic data without fresh guidance from policymakers in the meantime.

The S&P and the Nasdaq hit record highs on Friday, logging gains last week, in a positive start to a historically dour September.

The benchmark S&P 500 has lost 1.5% on average in the month - its worst month since 2000 - data compiled by LSEG shows.

Among stocks, retail trading platform Robinhood Markets HOOD.O and marketing platform AppLovin APP.O gained 8% and 9.6%, respectively, in premarket trading. The companies are set to join the S&P 500, effective September 22, after being snubbed during the last rebalancing.

Hecla Mining HL.N climbed 4.4% on news of its forthcoming addition to the small-cap S&P 600 .SPCY index.

EchoStar SATS.O soared 22.7% after the telecommunications services firm agreed to sell wireless spectrum licenses to SpaceX for its Starlink satellite network for about $17 billion.

It appeared to pressure other telecommunications giants, with AT&T T.N, Verizon VZ.N and T-Mobile TMUS.O slipping between 4% and 5.3% in premarket trading.