S&P Futures Tick Higher Ahead of FOMC Meeting Minutes

Group 1: Global Trade and Economic Outlook - The World Trade Organization has reduced its 2026 forecast for global merchandise trade volume growth to 0.5% from 1.8%, attributing this to the anticipated lagged effects of U.S. tariffs [1] - Economic data indicates that U.S. consumer credit rose by only $0.36 billion in August, significantly below the expected $12.90 billion [2] - Germany's industrial production fell by 4.3% month-over-month in August, much worse than the expected decline of 1.0% [11] Group 2: Market Performance and Sector Movements - Wall Street's three main equity benchmarks closed lower, with notable declines in chip stocks such as Lam Research and Applied Materials, both dropping over 5% [4] - Homebuilder stocks also faced a downturn after Evercore ISI downgraded the sector, with D.R. Horton falling more than 6% [4] - The Euro Stoxx 50 Index increased by 0.36%, driven by gains in mining and bank stocks, while automobile stocks, particularly BMW, fell over 7% due to lowered earnings guidance [9][10] Group 3: Federal Reserve and Interest Rates - Fed officials are divided on the urgency of further rate cuts, with the FOMC having cut interest rates last month for the first time this year [6][7] - Fed Governor Stephen Miran supports continued easing of policy, while Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari warns that sharp cuts could fuel inflation [2] Group 4: Corporate News and Earnings - Advanced Micro Devices rose over 1% in pre-market trading after an upgrade from DZ Bank [14] - Penguin Solutions tumbled over 22% in pre-market trading due to weaker-than-expected revenue and below-consensus guidance for FY26 [15]