US STOCKS-Wall Street set to open higher with trade talks in focus

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* Trade-sensitive Boeing rises in premarket
* Caesars jumps as Eldorado Resorts to buy co
* United Technologies up on Cowen upgrade
* Futures up: Dow 0.26%, S&P 0.23%, Nasdaq 0.31%

(Updates prices, adds comments)
By Shreyashi Sanyal
June 24 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes were set to
open slightly higher on Monday, with investors pinning their
hopes on a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi
Jinping later this week to de-escalate a trade war that is
damaging the global economy.
The S&P 500 index .SPX hit a record high last week,
boosted by rising expectations that the Federal Reserve would
cut interest rates and optimism over a revival in trade talks
between the United States and China. "Markets are generally optimistic about the fact that both
sides are continuing to meet, talk, discuss and debate tariffs,
and so there's still the potential for progress," said Randy
Frederick, vice president of trading and derivatives for Charles
Schwab in Austin, Texas.
"Don't think markets are expecting a deal, but at least as
long as there's dialogue, there's hope for progress."
Shares of trade-sensitive Boeing Co BA.N were up 0.3% in
premarket trading, while chip companies, which have a major
exposure to China, were also trading higher.
Investors were also hopeful that the Federal Reserve was
ready to battle growing risks to global and domestic growth from
the long-drawn trade conflict, after the U.S. central bank
signaled a potential interest rate cut later this year.
At 8:38 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis 1YMcv1 were up 69 points, or
0.26%. S&P 500 e-minis EScv1 were up 6.75 points, or 0.23% and
Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQcv1 were up 23.75 points, or 0.31%.
However, gains were kept in check by rising tensions between
the United States and Iran, after Tehran shot down an American
drone last week.
Trump said on Sunday he was not seeking war with Iran after
a senior Iranian military commander warned any conflict in the
Gulf region could spread uncontrollably and threaten the lives
of U.S. troops. Among other stocks, shares of casino operator Caesars
Entertainment Corp CZR.O jumped 14% after rival Eldorado
Resorts Inc ERI.O said it agreed to buy the company for $8.5
billion. Shares of Eldorado fell 6.8%. United Technologies Corp UTX.N gained 1% after Cowen & Co
upgraded shares of the building and aerospace supplier to
"outperform" from "market perform".
Celgene Corp CELG.O shares fell 3.3% after Bristol-Myers
Squibb Co BMY.N said its planned $74 billion deal to buy the
drugmaker was expected to close at the end of 2019 or beginning
2020, compared with its earlier expectations of closing the deal
in the third quarter. Shares of Bristol-Myers dropped 3.2%.