Stock Market Today: S&P 500, Nasdaq Futures Rise Ahead Of August CPI Print—Kroger, RH, Adobe Earnings In Focus - SPDR S&P 500 (ARCA:SPY)

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures rose on Thursday following a mixed close on Wednesday, with major benchmark indices showing positive movement [1] - The Producer Price Index (PPI) decreased by 0.1% in August, contrary to expectations of a 0.3% increase, indicating a slowdown in wholesale inflation from 3.3% to 2.6% year-over-year [2][5] - The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.05%, while the two-year bond was at 3.55%, with markets pricing a 100% likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates in the upcoming decision [2] Sector Performance - On Wednesday, energy and information technology stocks gained, while most other sectors in the S&P 500 finished lower, particularly consumer discretionary, health care, and consumer staples [4] - The Dow Jones index fell by 220 points (0.48%) to 45,490.92, while the S&P 500 rose by 0.30% to 6,532.04 [7][8] Company Insights - AI-linked stocks saw a rally due to optimism surrounding earnings growth from artificial intelligence, particularly after Oracle Corp. reported a significant backlog of AI-related orders [6] - Chewy, Inc. shares dropped approximately 17% following the release of its second-quarter results [6] - Oracle Corp. experienced a 1.61% increase in stock price, continuing its rally after reporting a record Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO) of $455 billion, a 359% increase year-over-year [19] Economic Indicators - Goldman Sachs projects a 0.37% month-over-month increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for August, leading to a year-over-year inflation rate of 2.9%, slightly above the Wall Street consensus [10][11] - The core CPI, excluding food and energy, is expected to rise by 0.36% month-over-month, bringing the annual rate to 3.13% [11] Future Projections - Analysts suggest that the anticipated easing cycle by the Federal Reserve could lead to a significant reallocation of the $7.4 trillion in money market funds back into equities, potentially fueling the next wave of stock market gains [12][13] - LPL Research indicates that the resumption of monetary policy easing could provide additional support for equity markets, with expectations of continued strong performance driven by AI investments and steady economic growth [14]