(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock

markets, click or type LIVE/ in a news window)

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Intel ( INTC ) up after report new CEO plots overhaul of

manufacturing,

AI operations

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February retail sales rose 0.2%

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Futures: Dow down 0.15%, S&P 500 up 0.04%, Nasdaq up 0.22%

(Updates to before markets open)

By Pranav Kashyap and Johann M Cherian

March 17 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main stock indexes

were set for a subdued open on Monday as investors assessed the

latest batch of economic data to gauge the impact of President

Donald Trump's tariffs on the economy.

A Commerce Department report showed retail sales rebounded

moderately in February, after a revised 1.2% decline in January.

However, a separate report showed New York State factory

activity plunged by the most in nearly two years, with new

orders falling sharply and input prices climbing at the fastest

rate in more than two years.

"It's just too early to tell. There are still too many

unknowns and it's hard to make that rationale," Ladenburg

Thalmann Asset Management's CEO Phil Blancato said on recession

worries.

"We have an expensive stock market and we're probably

looking at a difficult year to start."

In a Sunday interview with NBC, Bessent warned that there

are "no guarantees" the United States will escape a recession.

His remarks heightened anxieties about the possibility of an

economic downturn in the world's largest economy. Trump's tariff

policies have intensified fears of a trade war-induced

recession.

Trump has made it clear there will be no exemptions for

steel and aluminum tariffs, with reciprocal and sectoral tariffs

poised to take effect on April 2.

The Fed's rate decision is slated for Wednesday, with market

expectations firmly anticipating that the U.S. central bank will

maintain current interest rates, according to data compiled by

LSEG.

Two favorable inflation reports had provided some relief and

fueled Friday's "dip buying", propelling the S&P 500 and Nasdaq

to their largest single-day percentage gains since November 6.

At 08:55 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were down 64 points,

or 0.15%, S&P 500 E-minis were up 2.5 points, or 0.04%,

and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were up 44 points, or 0.22%.

Futures tracking the more domestically focused small-cap

Russell 2000 index were flat.

Trump's tariff hikes will drag down growth in Canada, Mexico

and the U.S. while driving up inflation, the OECD forecast on

Monday, cutting its global economic outlook and warning that a

broader trade war would sap growth further.

Last week, both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq

marked their fourth consecutive weekly declines, with the Dow

also experiencing a weekly drop.

The blue-chip Dow is precariously close to correction

territory, hovering about 2% away, and down roughly 8% from its

all-time high.

The S&P 500 entered correction territory last week,

following the Nasdaq's earlier move on March 6.

Megacap stocks were mixed in premarket trade on Monday, with

Microsoft ( MSFT ) losing 0.5%, while Nvidia ( NVDA ) rose 1.3%

and Apple ( AAPL ) gained 0.2%.

Tesla slipped 0.9%. A report showed brokerage

Mizuho lowered its price target on the EV maker's stock.

Intel ( INTC ) rose 1.7% after a report said incoming CEO

Lip-Bu Tan has considered significant changes to its chip

manufacturing methods and artificial intelligence strategies

ahead of his return to the company.