US STOCKS-Futures flat on caution before Fed minutes

* Dell shares up in premarket trade following results

* Oil climbs above $111 on gasoline supplies, weak dollar

* FOMC to release minutes from April 26-27 meeting

* Futures: S&P down 0.6 pt, Dow up 2 pts, Nasdaq down 3 pts

* For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US] (Updates with stock index futures turning flat, adds Abercrombie, Target results)

By Angela Moon

NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Wednesday as investors turned cautious before news from the Federal Reserve, offsetting gains in computer maker Dell and a rebound in commodity prices.

The Federal Open Market Committee will release minutes of its April 26-27 meeting at 2 p.m. (1800 GMT). Investors will look for hints about the Fed's stimulus program known as QE2, which is widely expected to end in June, and will scrutinize any disagreements among members of the committee.

Investors are also cautious about the economic outlook after Tuesday's data showing weakness in factory output and housing starts.

"I don't think the Fed's statement will change very much (from the previous one) and that will probably take the market a bit higher" as it calms fears that second-quarter growth is going to be below consensus, said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners in New York.

Dell's shares rose 5.5 percent to $16.77 in premarket trade after the PC manufacturer reported profits late on Tuesday that exceeded expectations. The company also raised its fiscal 2012 outlook for operating income. For details, see [ID:nN17219524]

S&P 500 futures fell 0.6 point and were slightly below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration of the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 2 points while Nasdaq 100 futures fell 3 points.

The S&P 500 <.SPX> and the Dow <.DJI> dipped below their 50-day moving averages on Tuesday, but the weakness prompted some bargain hunting, which helped shares recoup some losses in late trade.

In other earnings news, Staples Inc's shares fell 13.2 percent to $17.06 before the market's open after the company slashed its full-year outlook om weak demand for office supplies and on higher costs. [ID:nN18264525]

Abercrombie & Fitch Co rose 3.3 percent to $75.58 in premarket trade after reporting profit that handily beat Wall Street estimates. The teen retailer gained market share from rivals in both domestic and international markets. [ID:nL4E7GG2G8].

Analysts expect an initial public offering by social networking firm LinkedIn to be a success although they said it carries a number of risks. The IPO is set to be priced on Wednesday. [ID:nN17207120]

Intel's chief executive rejected speculation the world's largest chipmaker might adopt rival ARM Holdings' technology to build mobile chips and said smartphones using its silicon are about a year away. [ID:nN17192385]

After two days of losses, oil rebounded more than $1 to above $111 a barrel, supported by a surprise drop in U.S. gasoline inventories and a weaker dollar. [O/R] (Reporting by Angela Moon, Editing by Kenneth Barry)