US STOCKS-Futures subdued ahead of data-packed week, Powell's comments awaited

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Futures off: Dow 0.05%, S&P 500 0.05%, Nasdaq 0.13%

Sept 30 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were flat to slightly lower on Monday as caution set in ahead of a week filled with numerous jobs reports and comments from policymakers including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Wall Street's main indexes have trended higher since the world's most influential central bank kicked off its policy easing nearly two weeks ago and are now set to end the month and the quarter on a strong note.

At 5:44 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were down 21 points, or 0.05%, S&P 500 E-minis were down 3 points, or 0.05% and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were down 27.25 points, or 0.13%.

Futures tracking the small caps Russell 2000 index slipped 0.48%.

The blue-chip Dow closed at a record high in the previous session and the benchmark S&P 500 is a whisker away from all-time highs. Both the indexes are set for their fifth straight month of gains, defying a historical trend where September has been a weak month for equities on average.

Recent data has reflected moderating price pressures, while the underlying economy fares well overall, granting the central bank enough room to support the labor market and avoid a recession by reducing borrowing costs further.

Economists say that a mistake by the Fed in setting interest rates during the last phase of its inflation battle could be risky for the economy over the next year as markets await comments from chair Powell at a conference on Monday at 1:55 p.m. ET.

Comments from Governor Michelle Bowman will also be parsed before markets open. A report showed St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem said the central bank should cut interest rates "gradually".

Investors will also keep a close tab on August's job openings report and September's pivotal payrolls figure, along with final business activity estimates lined up through the week as they look for clues on the outlook for the economy and interest rate cuts.

Traders have been uncertain about the Fed's move at its November meeting, with bets for quarter of a percentage point reduction now at 58.4%, as per the CME Group's FedWatch Tool. Those for a bigger 50 basis points cut stand at 41.6%.

Among top premarket movers, CVS Health (CVS) rose 1.3% after a report showed hedge fund Glenview Capital Management will meet top executives at the struggling healthcare company to propose ways it can improve operations.

Automakers Ford and General Motors (GM) lost 3% each after European peer Stellantis NV (STLA) slashed its annual forecasts.

Lithium miners such as Albemarle rose 1.8%, Arcadium added 1.7%, while U.S.-listed shares of copper miners BHP and Rio Tinto rose 1.3% each after top metals consumer China's central bank said it would tell banks to lower mortgage rates for existing home loans in its latest stimulus move.

U.S.-listed shares of Alibaba rose 4.8%, Li Auto jumped 8.2% and PDD climbed 5.2% tracking domestic stocks that saw their biggest single-day rally since 2008.

Crypto stocks such as Microstrategy (MSTR) lost 5.5%, Coinbase dropped 4.4%, Bit Digital (BTBT) fell 4.9% tracking a slide in bitcoin prices. (Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)