U.S. Stock Futures Mixed as Cooling Inflation and Tech Rally Drive Friday’s Trading

Market Performance - U.S. stock futures are showing mixed performance with Nasdaq 100 futures up by approximately 0.43% to 0.45%, S&P 500 futures gaining between 0.20% and 0.35%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are slightly down by 0.07% [1] - The S&P 500 rose 0.79% to close at 6,774.76, Nasdaq Composite surged 1.38% to finish at 23,006.36, and Dow Jones gained 0.14% to close at 47,951.85, despite a volatile week [2] Economic Indicators - The November Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showed inflation rising by 2.7% year-over-year, below the expected 3.1%, and core inflation at 2.6% against an expected 3.0%, indicating cooling inflation [3] - Markets are pricing in at least two interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in 2026 due to the softer inflation data [3] Central Bank Actions - The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 0.75%, the highest level since 1995, with indications of further increases [4] - The European Central Bank maintained its rates for the fourth consecutive meeting, while the Bank of England cut its Bank Rate by 25 basis points to 3.75% [4] Corporate Earnings - Companies reporting quarterly results include Paychex, Carnival Corporation, Conagra Brands, Lamb Weston Holdings, and Winnebago Industries, which will influence investor sentiment regarding consumer discretionary spending [6] - Micron Technology's stock soared 10% after reporting strong Q1 FY26 results and guidance, driven by demand for high-bandwidth memory used in AI servers [7] Notable Stock Movements - Nike shares plunged over 10% in pre-market trading despite beating sales and earnings expectations due to concerns over declining sales in Greater China [11] - RTX's Raytheon announced a $168 million contract for supplying Romania with Patriot air and missile defense system equipment [11] - Tesla shares advanced 3.4% as reports indicated SpaceX purchased Cybertrucks that Tesla was unable to sell [11] - Oracle Corporation's stock rose more than 5% following news of a joint-venture deal with TikTok [11] - Trump Media & Technology Group surged 41% on the announcement of a $6 billion merger with TAE Technologies [11]