Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures lean lower after JPMorgan earnings as CPI inflation looms

Group 1: Market Overview - US stock futures showed a slight decline as investors prepared for an important inflation report, with Dow Jones Industrial Average futures down 0.2%, S&P 500 futures down 0.1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.2% [1] - Wall Street stocks reached record closes on Monday, despite concerns regarding a US criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell [1] Group 2: JPMorgan Earnings - JPMorgan Chase reported a quarterly earnings miss, impacted by a $2.2 billion reduction in net income due to an Apple Card deal, although shares were slightly higher post-report [2] - The earnings season has commenced, with Bank of America, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley expected to release their results in the coming days [2] Group 3: Inflation Data - The upcoming consumer price index (CPI) report is anticipated to provide clarity on inflation trends, with expectations of a 2.7% annual rate and a 0.3% monthly rate [3] - The CPI report is particularly significant following a December jobs report indicating a cooling labor market, with traders predicting a 95% chance that the Fed will maintain current rates in January [4] Group 4: Federal Reserve and Political Pressure - Global central bankers, including Janet Yellen and Alan Greenspan, have criticized the Justice Department's investigation into Powell, viewing it as a threat to the Fed's independence [5] - Powell has described the investigation as political pressure from President Trump, who has called for aggressive interest-rate cuts [5] Group 5: Geopolitical Developments - Trump announced that countries conducting business with Iran will face a 25% US tariff, adding geopolitical uncertainty to the market, which is already affected by developments in Venezuela and Greenland [6]