Yahoo Finance·2025-12-18 15:11Economic Indicators - November's inflation rate was reported at 2.7%, lower than the expected 3.1% [1] - The "Core" CPI, excluding food and energy prices, increased by only 2.6%, also below the predicted 3% [1] Market Reactions - Investors reacted positively to the inflation report, with the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) rising by 0.8% in premarket trading [2] - A cooler inflation report increases the likelihood of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve in January, which is generally favorable for the stock market [4] Company Earnings - Micron (Nasdaq: MU) reported earnings of $4.78 per share for fiscal Q1 2026, exceeding expectations by 84 cents, with sales of $13.6 billion [5] - Micron's guidance for Q2 suggests earnings could reach $8.42 per share, significantly above the consensus forecast of $4.49, with projected sales of $18.7 billion [5] - Cintas (Nasdaq: CTAS) reported earnings of $1.21 per share for fiscal Q2, slightly beating revenue projections with sales of $2.8 billion [6] - Cintas forecasts full-year profit between $4.81 and $4.88 per share, although sales may be slightly lower than expected at around $11.1 billion [6]