US equity futures were higher ahead of Monday's opening bell as traders searched for fresh catalysts after last week's interest-rate cut from the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 0.1%, S&P 500 futures inched up 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures were up 0.3%. Last Wednesday, the central bank's Federal Open Market Committee reduced interest rates to a range of 4.75% to 5%, versus a Bloomberg-compiled consensus for a 5% to 5.25% range. Oil prices were marginally higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 0.1% at $73.77 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude up 0.1% at $71.04 per barrel. The flash Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, set to be released at 9:15 am ET, is seen coming in at 48.6 in September versus 47.9 in the previous reading, while the services PMI is seen at 55.3 for the month compared with 55.7 previously, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. In other world markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed 0.06% lower, China's Shanghai Composite ended 0.4% higher, while the Japanese market was closed for holiday.

UK's FTSE 100 gained 0.07% and Germany's DAX index rose 0.6% in Europe's early afternoon session. In equities, Black Diamond Therapeutics shares rose more than 23% pre-bell after the company reported initial phase 2 data showing "robust anti-tumor activity" of BDTX-1535 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. On the losing side, General Motors shares fell 3% following a media report that it plans to lay off around 1,700 workers at its Kansas plant..