REFILE-US STOCKS-Futures drop as Caterpillar, Texas Instruments weigh

Wall Street was set to open lower on Wednesday after warnings from Caterpillar and Texas Instruments rekindled worries about a global economic slowdown due to U.S.-China trade tensions.

Shares of Caterpillar Inc slid 4% and were the biggest decliners among Dow Industrials in trading before the bell, as the company cut its yearly profit forecast on weak demand in China. Trade tensions took a toll on chip industry bellwether Texas Instruments, which fell 9% after it forecast current-quarter revenue below estimates.

Other chipmakers including Intel Corp, Analog Devices Inc and Nvidia Corp fell between 2% and 3.5%. Still, the earnings season has largely been upbeat, with over 80 of the 100 companies topping analysts' estimates, according to Refinitiv data. But analysts still project the first earnings contraction since 2016.

The S&P 500 is hovering near its record high on signs of progress in trade negotiations between the world's top two economies. At 7:25 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were down 98 points, or 0.37%. S&P 500 e-minis were down 9 points, or 0.3% and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 19.5 points, or 0.25%.

A handful of healthcare companies rose on strong results. Drugmaker Alexion Pharmaceuticals jumped 5% after raising its full-year forecast. Medical device makers Boston Scientific Corp and Thermo Fisher Scientific gained 3% each on beating quarterly profit estimates.

Also Read: GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia shares slip on Brexit snag, Texas Instruments' revenue woes